Earlier the head of the Japanese Army press bureau, Col. Shuitsu Matsumura, confirmed reports of a clash between Japanese and French fordes at Dongdang, Indo-China. He said that the Japanese had advised the French in advance that they were crossing the border, allegedly under the terms of Sunday's Hanoi agreement, and that the clash therefore was the fault of the French.
"Since we have been seeking peaceful entry into Indo-China," he said, "it goes without saying that we did everything within our power to prevent a clash. The clash was naturally the fault of the French."
He said that the Franco-Japanese agreement, reached a few hours before the expiration of a Japanese ultimatum, had been' reached "ini a friendly spirit." Third Power agents earlier had attempted to obstruct the Franco-Japanese negotiations and prevent thè "establishment of an Asiatic sphere of mutual prosperity," he said.
"Extraordinary Pains"
"We took extraordinary pains," he said, "to see that all our troops, even the smallest unit, were fully informed of the conclusion of the agreement. We believe that the same steps were taken by the French Indo-China authorities but it seems that they opened fire on us because the order had. not reached them as it was late at night.
"It is most regrettable that this took place and we are endeavouring to prevent an extension of this con-ict.
"We expect the situation to return to normal as soon as the orders have been made clear to, the Indo-Chinese forces. We expect that our advance will be carried out without further untoward incidents."—United Press.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.