Washington, Oct. 7.
The calling up of all naval reserves, which was officially described yesterday as a "stand-by" warfing to be followed by specific assignments to active duty on land and at sea, coming, as it did, right after the waming:-by Colonel Frank Knox, Navy Secretary, on Saturday to "international brigands" that the United States would be ready if a fight was forced on her, emphasizes the determination of the Administration to call Japan's bluff, it ts stated in political quarters here.
After struggling for three years to subdue China and getting more deeply involved economically every month, it is believed Japan's swashbuckling declarations that the United States supports the status quo in the Far East at its peril, arouse only sardonic laughter among American officials aware of the true situation.
Japan is felt to be banking on political difficulties of the United States, but, as Colonel Knox declared, the American public have never taken kindly to attempts of intimidation. if Japan wishes to make a suicidal attack on the United States, it is stressed here, the United States Fleet will be found ready and Japan's hopes that Isolationist opinion will Prevent any firm stand being made, will, according to the best observers, be found to be a fatal miscalculation.—Reuter.
Without further elaboration, and without any direct reference to the United States, the Premier then proceeded with an explanation of Japan's The Foreign Minister, Mr. Matsuoka, told the governors that Japan was "prepared to share nature's bounties" with any nation "that does not interfere with our project for the creation of a new East Asian chain of mutual prosperity."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.