The sudden large increase in the number of Japanese planes at Hanoi and Haiphong and flights over Haiphong. today were interpreted by American officials here as a Japanese threat to forestall any possible French protests against the Japanese seizure of American-owned goods from eric on godowns in Haiphong on s morning, The Japanese were putting on the show of force to impress the French with the futility of taking official action, the Americans said.
Meanwhile, several Japanese mei chant steamers have arrived ju Hai phong to carry away the American-owned goods which the Japanese removed yesterday from various Ame: can godows.
The American firm on Friday re-irised a Japanese keys to the godowns t0 turn ex and gave the keys to a French official in Haiphong, This official protested to the Japanese against their demand, but on Sunday morning the Japanese ceted withen! informing—either th Government or the fi The goods were en route to China when Japanese forces entered Indo-China last year and "he American firms have not been able to move them out of ihe country since that time. The Japanese have contended that the goods were Chinese-owned and therefore subject to confiscation. rather than American-owned, The American firms were ordered to hand over the keys by 9 am. on Sunday, but the Japanese began seize ing the goods an hour before the deadline after the firms had refused io conform to the demand, The Mayor of Haiphon:
med the Hanoi nation—United Press
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.