Tokyo, Feb. 6.
ICREASING importance _was being attached by the Japanese Army to the Yangtze River, especially its estuary, Lt.-Gen. Seishiro Itagaki, the War Mi ister, declared in a budgetary debate in the House of Representatives, this afternoon, The War Minister reiterated his declarations that the Army had no intention of neglecting that part of China, He said he was not free to mention definitely the places where Japanese troops would be stationed in China or how Jong they would remain, The new Central Government of China, which, he said, was expected to be organized, woul id comprise not only the Peiping and Nanking Governments, but also the Peace Maintenance Commissions already or yet to be established in Central and South China, Lt.-Gen. Hagaki stated, Drafts of the government's replies to British, American and French Notes regarding Japan's policies in China have been compleled by the Foreign Oflee and will be submitted to high Ministry ofelals for approval early this week, it was reported in reliable After the Cabinet approves the replies they will be handed to the Am-Dassadors of the three countries at an "appropriate time," it was understood.
Diplomatic observers predicted that the replies will clarify the Govern-mont's altitude regarding three principal questions. The replies will state Tokyo Press Boast Over Hainan Tokyo, Feb. 1 All Japanese newspapers in Tokyo without exception commented editori-Jolly this morning on the Japanese military operations in Hainan, legally justifying the Japanese surprise land~ Ing on the Island. Some journals:
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.