London, July 18.
Neutral sources possessing contact with the Vichy Government tended ioday to confirm reports that the Japanese were continuing to place o; Strong pressure on Marshal Henri Petain to hand over Camranh Bay to them, with the only alternative that the Japanese would take the strategic harbour by force. 8 Other diplomatic circles received reports similar to that one published yesterday by the diplomatic correspondent of the London "Times" claiming that Japan had threatened to make war on Indo-China to gain the bases.
One diplomatic source claimed that Tokyo had given Marshal Petain only a few days in which to decide on whether to submit or fight. It was pointed out that the Japanese "arguments" are backed by the fact they already have a considerable air force in Indo-China.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.