Nanking, Aug. 17.
Negotiations between Chinese and Japanese delegates for the readjustment of basic relations between the two countries were progressing: smoothly with the conclusion of the 12th- session today.
According to a communique issued by the Japanese Embassy here, the 12th meeting, which was convened at 11 o'clock this morning, completed discussions on a number of draft toms which were approved during recent unofficial meetings. The session adjourned at 1 o'clock this afternoon. It was announced that the next meeting will be held on Tuesday.—Domei.
The last time the United States acquired a naval base in the Caribbean was in 1916, when President Woodrow Wilson bought the Virgin Islands from Denmark. Those islands were bought as one of the first defences for the Panama Canal and were at that time very valuable as coaling base. With the disappearance of the use of coal by naval vessels, the Virgin Islands are now particularly valuable as a naval and air base, St. Thomas, an enclosed harbour, is one of the best in that region.
President Roosevelt's action yesterday is iw line with the recent United States policy to extend the defences of the Panama Canal as far out as possible in both the Atlantic and Paci-fie so that any potential enemy might be met far out at sea before approaching the Canal.
Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and cther nations in the Caribbean neighbourhood have already indicated their willingness to ce-operate with the United States in any way desired and the United States already has the Guantanamo base, which is now being reinforced and strengthened as an ell-year base of operations, instead of a winter training ground.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.