London, Dec. 20.
Warfare in the North Sea claimed five more shipping casualties yesterday as Britain pressed a counteroffensive in the air in an attempt to win command of the skies.
The sinking of the Norwegian steamer Glftrefjell, 1,568 tons, and the British steamer City of Kobe, 4373 tons, indicated a new phase in German U-boat activity. Both vessels were believed to have been tor-pedeed, Survivors of the City of Kobe said that two days before the vessel was sunk German planes bombed and strafed it with machine-gun fire.
December 18.
The spokesman revealed that no reaction to the Yangtze decision had been reported yet by the Japanese Embassy in Washington. Japan was watching America's reaction with "absorbing interest," the spokesman said. The Government's decision to reopen the Yangtze aroused opposition in some newspapers and sections of the.country, according to the spokesman.
Why Decision was Made There would be various difficulties, military andi otherwise, in reopening he Yangtze and Pearl Rivers, but the Government's decision to reopen the Yangtze was prompted by a desire to improve relations with America, therefore Japan expected the United States to express its attitude even before Christmas, the spokesman continued.
Conditions which would govern the reopening of the river were being studied by authorities in China, according to the spokesman, who voiced a hope thet the Yangtze and Pearl Rivers would be reopened as soon as possible.
Asked what preventive measures would be taken against transportation of arms and ammunition to guerillas and bandits the spokesman said no decision had been made yet. He said t was his personal opinion thet a licence system could be enforced to advantage,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.