DER the glare of Hoodlights and befor Nanking, Nov. 30.~ a battery of cameras, Mr. Wang Ching-wei and General Nobuyuki Abe this morning igned the long-awaited treaty of "basic relations" between the Nanking Government and Japan, The signing took place at the Ceremonial Hall of the Nanking Government, Later, a triple declaration of mutual recognition between Japan, China and Manchoukuo was signed, The strictest precautions were taken, and all approaches to the hall were lined with Japanese and Chinese troops.
The terms of the treaty were kept secret until noon—three hours after the signing.
At the time of the signature, a 21-gun salute boomed across the city from the Japanese cruiser Idzumo, flagship of the Japanese fleet in central China, and other Japanese warships, and "doves of peace" were released.
Mr, Wang and General Abe entered ihe ceremonial hall together, Other Ministers present were Mr. Chow Fu-hal, Finance Minister, Mr. Lin Pai-chen, Minister of Publicity, Mr. Chu Min-yi, Foreign Minister, and Mr. Mei Sze-ping, Minister of Commerce and Industry, The signing of the treaty comes ler eight months of negotiation, These have dragged on, affected all the complicated off stage manemuvres of the Far East Several times it was reported that! while Geneval Abe was parleying with Mr, Wang Ching-wel in. Nanking, Tokyo had approached Chunging, trying to sound out possible terms to end the weary struggle in China, Only zast_month despatches from Tokyo alleged Japan had made "final effort" to reach peace through direct negotiations with General] Chiang Kaleshek, adding that if the Chinese "National Government refused Japan would recognize the Wang Ching-wei regime.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.