Reporters again questioned Mr. Hull regarding the possibility df a visit to Washington by Mr. Yosuke Matsuoka, Japanese Foreign Minister, Mr. Hull replied as previously—that he had only heard the visit projected in the writings of one or two individuals and knew nothing more.
Regarding the reported imminent withdrawal of the United States Legation guards at Peiping and Tientsin, Mr. Hull said he could mot tell correspondents anything definite at the present time.
The "Japan Times & Advertiser" recently published "exploratory 4 peace" proposals to end the war and establish a new world order. Since the newspaper is regarded as an English language mouthpiece of the Japanese Foreign Office. observers believed that the article might have been inspired.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.