Hongkong, June 22.
Japanese military authorities may exert pressure on Britain soon to close the Burma Road to shipments of war materials to the interior of China, some quarters believed here today.
These quarters believed Japanese authorities would demand the closure of the Burma Road because, in spite of the French agreement to close the Yunnan Railway from Indo-China to the interior of China, the Burma Route still functioned.
Observers said this belief was given strength by the action of Japanese Army headquarters at Canton in adopting a more belligerent attitude toward the French, indicating they would ignore any agreement reached by the Tokyo Government, These quarters believed Japanese pressure might take the form of a demonstration against Hongkong, similar to the demonstration staged in August last year. Unconfirmed reports were already circulating here today that Japanese troops in the Canton area may move towards the Hongkong frontier within the next 72 hours.
Asked regarding the reported Japanese concentrations along the Hongkong border, the British military spokesman here said the Japanese Army is occupying certain areas adjacent to the colony "for the purpose of mopping up Chinese guerillas."
Japanese military authorities communicated this intention to British military authorities and there was "no cause for alarm." the spokesman said.—United Press.
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