Shanghai, June 28.
NNOUNCING that military operations were to be started at Wenchow, in Chekiang province, and Foochow, in Fukien province, the two remaining open ports on the China coast, the Japanese naval authorities yesterday delivered requests to the Consular Body in Shanghai asking for the evacuation of third party nationals from these areas and the removal of warships and merchant vessels by 11 o'clock tomorrow.
The requests were trans~ mitted to the Consular Body by Mr. Yoshiaki Miura, Japanese Consul-General, yesterday morning.
Sir Herbert Phillips, HM. Consul~ General, replied to Mr. Mura stating that His Majesty's Government cannot accept the warning by the Japanese authorities as relieving them of 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 (ineluding 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 un affected, The Japanese communication de-flared 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 am, on June 29, 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, 1039, 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 Bast Longitude, and those in Foochow Harbour to' the waters east of 119 degrees 90 East Longitude. Be-the above-mentioned hour, ces to the two harbours will be closed by means of dangerous objects and other obstacles for reasons of military necessity, s0 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: fof South Passay Foochow—Bastern section of Weltou (Woga) Channel (near the Central Buoy in the eastern section of, the entrance to the Min River.
'Since the areas in the vicinity of 'Wenchow and Foochow will become zones of hostilities, Third Power nationals residing inthe said areas are hereby requested to evacuate as soon, as possible'
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.