London, June 26. The creation of a Council of Three, comprising Britain, France and the United States, which could send Japan Notes which Tokyo "would not dare to ignore," was proposed today by Vice-Admiral C. V. Usborne former head of the Naval Intelligence Service, in a broadcast address.
Speaking on "Problems of Defence in the Pacific," Vice-Admiral Usborne declared the strength of the three democratic nations united in the Far East "could not be defied" by Japan.
He added that if war broke out between Britain and Japan, "The result would be a stiffening of Chinese resistance and, ultimately, Japanese exhaustion and defeat."
He emphasized that, in case of war, China would automatically become an ally and would "then be easily rendered assistance by railway, road and air.
"But," Vice-Admiral Usborne concluded, "Japan and Britain will be wise and will settle their differences by agreement."
The speaker retired from active service in 1933, after serving Director of Naval Intelligence Division from 1930 to 1932. He became an underwriting member of Lloyd's in 1934, He has written a number of books, cluding "Smoke on the Horizon,"
last and Counterblast" and "The Conquest of Morocco." He is 59 years of age.—Havas.
Sir Herbert Phillips, H.M. Consul-General, replied to Mr. Miura stating that His Majesty's Government cannot accept the warning by the Japanese authorities as relieving them: their responsibility to abstain from interfering with the movements of British vessels and from endangering British lives and property, inasmuch as the right of British vessels (including warships) to proceed to and remain in any place in Chinese waters, including the treaty ports of Foochow and Wenchow, and the right of British subjects to reside at or near Foochow or Wenchow remains unaffected.
The Japanese communication declared that the Japanese authorities "cannot assume any responsibility for losses, either direct or indirect," that might be suffered by vessels remaining in Wenchow or Foochow after 11 o'clock Thursday morning.
The statement of the Japanese naval authorities, in full, was as follows:
"The Japanese Naval Forces will commence military operations at Foochow and Wenchow on June 27, 1939. By noon (Japan Time) of the 29th, therefore, all Tthird Power men-of-war and merchant vessels in Wenchow Harbour are requested to proceed to the waters east of 121 degrees 15 East Longitude, and those in Foochow Harbour to the waters east of 119 degrees 50 East Longitude. Beginning at the above-mentioned hour, the entrances to the two harbours will be closed by means of dangerous objects and other obstacles for reasons of military necessity, so that passage into or out of the harbours will thereafter become impossible. The Japanese Authorities cannot assume any responsibility for lossses, either direct or indirect, that might be suffered by vessels remaining in the harbours after the said hour.
"Locations of the dangerous objects are as follows:
(a) At Wenchow—eastern section of Shatou Channel; central section Opium Seized in Pres.
Coolidge San Francisco, June 26.
One of the largest seizures of opium in years was made Saturday by Revenue and Customs agents, it was revealed by the Revenue Bureau today. Apparently acting on a private tip, agents of the Narcotic Branch of the Department of Treasury boarded the s, President Coolidge Saturday and discovered an unregistered trunk containing 250 five-tael tins of opium, valued at more than U.S.$100,000.—United Press.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.