London, Apr. 19, The statement on the Dutch East Indies made early this week by the Japanese Foreign Minister, Mr. Hachiro Arita, was the subject of questions in the House of Commons last evening.
Captain Alan Graham, Conservative member for the Wirral division Cheshire, sought an assurance that the British Government did not intend to leave solely to Japan the maintenance of peace in the waters pf the Netherlands East Indies in the event of the Netherlands themselves becoming a theatre of war.
The Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Mr. R. A. Butler, replied that as far as Lord Halifax '(the Foreign Secretary) was aware, the Japanese Government had made n" claim to be solely responsible for the maintenance of peace in these waters.
He informed the House that in a statement to the press, Mr. Arita said the Japanese Government could not but be deeply concerned regarding any development, consequent upon the aggravation of the war in Europe, which might affect the status quo of the Netherlands East Indies.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.