Although official quarters earlier confirmed that a virtual ultimatum. had been sent to France, the Japanese Foreign Office spokesman at noon today said that Japan was still considering a reply to France's representations of January 5 against Japanese bombing of the Yunnan Railway.
The spokesman said it would "take some time" before the Japanese reply would be drafted. He said the railway had been bombed for strategic reasons "and has nothing to do with treaty questions."
He derided reports that an ulti-datum had already been sent France, saying that "It cannot be a fact."
The spokesman said the French were attempting to convince the Japanese that munitions shipments over the Yunnan Railway were stopped months ago. He pointed out that the Japanese have bombed only that section of the railway line which lies within Chinese territory.
Traffic Not Stopped Japanese observers said negotiations for the cessation of the traffic of arms and munitions over the Yunnan Railway have been pending since the outbreak of the war with China. It has been repeatedly reported that the French have promised to stop the flow of arms through Indo-China to China, but the Japanese complain that the traffic has not been stopped, but has kept up as vigorously as ever.
Japanese quarters said they believed Japan would continue to bomb the Yunnan railway until the transportation of arms to China through French Indo-China has ceased.—
United Press.
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