London, Dec. 28.
Plzasure that the Japanese Government has now officially expressed its intention to reopen the Yangtze River to merchant ships of all nations, and that it hopes soon to reopen as well the Pearl River, is expressed by Lord Elibank, formerly President of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce of the Empire, in a letter to "The Times" today-Lord Elibank says that both these projected measures are of great moment in the present crisis, and that heir materialization would be heartily welcome to all those with business interests in the Far East.
He expresses the hope that such reopening will not be surrounded by conditions which may minimize or hamper the concession now to be made, or render both reopenings largely negative in operation owing to the number of rules and regulations attached to them. further," Lord Elibank writes, "it is not too much to ask that the reopening, as far as the Yangtze is concerned, will not stop at Nanking, but that it be rapidly followed by the reopening as well of the upper reaches of the river, where is situated the most fertile district in central China."
"In any event," he adds, "I feel sure that Japan can rely upon the greatest amount of ce-operation on the part of all nationals in fulfilling any conditions of the reopening, so long as they are reasonably capable of fulfilment."—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.