Tightened; Territorial Ambitions Denied Tokyo, Feb, 13, a statement issued at 12.30 o'clock today, the Foreign Office revealed that the French Ambassador, M. Charles Arsenc-
Henry, saw Mr. Hachiro Arita, the Japanese Foreign Minister, this morning, to seck an explanation "regarding the object, duration and nature of the Japanese occupation of Hainan Island.
Th reply, Mr, Arita assured the French Ambassador that Japan's occupation of Hainan Island has a military object, namely to strengthen the Japanese blockade of South China."
"Mr. Arita," the statement continues, "assured M, Arsenc-Henry, that in its nature, the duration of Japan's occupation of the Island does not exceed that of military necessity.
'Mr, Arita made clear that Japan has no territorial designs on Hainan Island, 'The French Ambassador said that he appreciated Mr. Arita' explanation and left the Foreign Office after 40 minutes, Grew, American Ambassador, in a fifteen-minute interview this' after-hoon, a spokesman for the Foreign Mice announced this evening. Mr. Grew, called on Mr. Arita at the Talter's oficial residence at 520 O'clock this afternoon, The Japanese objective, the spokesman declared, lay in reinforcing the "peaceful blockade" against Chinese shipping in South China, thereby accelerating'the downfall of the regime of Gen. Chiang Kai-shek. The gperations were dictated by "military necessity," he added. Mr. Grew, the spokesman said, -hod asked for an explanation of Japan's intentions with regard to the island, "pointing out that while the United States did not have a consulate on Hainan, American nationals resided in American owned property there.
American interest on Hainan were listed by the spokesman as follows. three churches, one middle school, one girls' high' school, six primary' schools, and three hospitals.
Residing on Hainan were 80 American citizens in addition to 25 missionaries, the spokesman, declared.
Japan has no territorial design on Hainan Island, but it is premature to make any statement regarding the future of the Island because the Japanese forces are now occupying the Island for military necessity, according to the spokesman of the Foreign Oflee, at this morning's press conference.
Replying to a question put forward by a foreign correspondent, the spokesman said that the Japanese Government has not yet paid eon-sideration to the future status of Hainan Island, The spokesman refer-"red to the declaration often repeated by the Japanese Government that Japan has no territorial design on China, which the spokesman gald also applies in the case of Hainan Island.
The Japanese occupation of Hainan, the spokesman said, has no connection with the maintenance of peace and order in the Pacific, despite the alleation. to the contrary by Generalis-imo Chiang Kai-shek to foreign correspondents, to whom he gave an interview on Sunday.—Reuter,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.