"As a naval officer I am reluctant to believe that the statement T have referred to, though it was published a Shanghai paper, was really made by any responsible American naval officer. That is why we asked the American authorities If there was any truth in the story.
"To speak quite frankly, when we think coolly in Tokyo about such affair, it seems somewhat absurd, But our officers and men, who are engaged in the actual hostilities, ake such things very seriously, and their feelings have to be considered. Therefore officers and gentlemen ought to be very careful in what they say." the spokesman observed.
'Turning to other matters, Admiral Kanazawa said that' the general sit-nation seems 0 be more delicate than ever, "and though our cabinet has changed there is no change whatever in our fundamental policy regards the China affair," and pecially in the navy, as Admiral Yonai remains as our minister in the new Cabinet. the somme policy will be continued during the" new year, "As to the fighting in China, active operations will be continued, it can safely*be assumed that there will be no change In policy."
With reference to actual naval operations, the spokesman said that minesweepers have been busily engaged in destroying Chinese mines in the Yangtze. There was partie cular. activity near Yochow, where withthe ebbing of the river, the Japanese were destroying from 20 to30 mines every day recently. "The mines have, therefore decreased a good deal in number," he said, "and now only a fow are being put out of action every day.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.