Tokyo, May 1.
Japan did not intend to express her concern over the maintenance of the status quo in British India and French Indo-China because of the possibility that they might become causes for the spread of the European conflict to Asia, a spokesman for the Foreign Office said here today, He described as "wild imaginary stories" reports appearing in the "Miyako Shimbun" and the "Kokumin Shimbun" attributing to Mr. Hachiro Arita, Foreign Minister, the intention of invoking the principle inspiring his statement of April 15, regarding Japan's stand in the question of the Netherlands East Indies, to include British India and French Indo-China.
In his statement, Mr. Arita expressed the "grave concern" of the Japanese Government towards a possible change in the status of the N.EL as a result of Holland's involvement in the European confüct.—Domei.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.