Chungking, Feb, 17, The report that Britain is mining the Singapore Straits and has ordered the evacuation of British _nationals from Thailand was given prominence Jn_this morning's Chinese papers.
"the official "Central Daily News" alleges that the Japanese are ing active preparations for. southward expansion, declaring that the Japanese forces at Haiphong and Hanoi have been reinforced.
Eleven warships of the Japanese! third fleet are said to have been transferred from Shanghai to Hainan Island, while the Japanese Second fleet is said to have arrived at Hainan Island, The Chinese daily claims that there are at present over 60 Japar ese warships concentrated off Hainan, and also that over 200 Japanese planes have been transferred from China to the island, It is stated that Japan is unlikely to make any sensational move, like fan attack on Singapore or the Dutch East Indies, which would bring her} into war against Britain and the United States, but that she would move gradually so as not to attract too. much world attention,—and might in time confront the ' world with @ fait accompli.—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.