"We shall have to study that question before we can give a definite answer," the spokesman replied [correspondent, who asked if the Japfanese navy Would claim the right to extend the blockade past the three mille International Law limit, "As J see, the position in the ordinary way," the correspondent. continued, "ships cannot be searched on the high seas not even for the purpose of verifying their registry, except when there has been a declaration of war. In this ease there hee been some sort of understanding that British ships can be stopped to establish their Identity or registration"
Commenting on the statement, the spokesman said that they had had no word of any intention at the present time of a further extension of this situation (detaining and searching foreign vessels).
Remarking that the statement made bby a spokesman on Wednesday seemed to give very wide powers, a correspondent asked If any rules of International Law would be iinored if, in the Japanese view, they would bring about the downfall of the Chiang Kal-shek regime, In reply the spokesman stated that Japanese Government had no such Ideas, "What about the navy?" the ques-loner enquired "It is. just because of tha that we are undergoing a lot Jof anguish," the spokesman replied, "It has been a source of dally headaches."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.