"It is doubtful if the Shanghai Municipal Council any rights to he policing and tax ug of the sotolled outside roads' are," stated the Japanese Embassy spokesman at the press conference yesterday. Continuing he added that the S.M.C. claimed the right because of a practice which had existed for more than 70 years but it was still "doubtful" if the Council has special claims.
The Council assumed the rights be-cruse of a "weak" China, he went on to say, and pointed out that policing authorities should be delegated to one authority and the logical one was the "Special Municipality."
One great factor in the armed battle on Sunday was the highhanded action of the Municipal Police against a house outside their jurisdiction. Details of the affair were being investigated and mo discussion at this time would be of any value, he added.
Referring to the press report, which it was stated that Mr. Cordell Hull, U. S. Secretary of State, had said—provided that he made the statement—that the American Department of State will ce-operate with the S.M.C. against, Japan, he added that many people were misconstruing the contents. The Japanese were coberating with the Council. Various influences were at work, the spokesman continued, to foster trouble between the Council and the "Special Municipality and to create trouble between Japan the other Powers. The city was not free of Chungking agents and it is strongly suspected that the ter were responsible for the wholesale murder on Weihaiwei Extortion Racket Alleged
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.