Air Power rer The sudden large increase in. the number of Japanese planes at Hanoi and Haiphong and fights over Hai-Phong today were interpreted by American offelals here as a Japanese Threat to forestall any possible French protests against the Japanese seizure American-owned goods. from
Sunday morning.
American godowns in Haiphong, on The Japanese were putting on the show of force to impress the French with the futility of taking oMelal action, the Americans said.
Mednwhile, several Japanese merchant steamers have arrived ju Halphong to carty away the American-owned goods which the Japanese 1 moved yesterday from various Amer!
The American firms on Friday refused a Japanese request to turn over keys to the godowns, and gave the keys to a French oficial in Haiphong, This official protested to the Japanese against their demand, but on Sunday morning the Japanese acted without informing either the Indo-China Government or he firms.
The goods were en route to China when Japanese forces entered In China "last year and the American firms have not. been able to move them out of the 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 wore ordered to hand over the keys by 9 am. on Sunday. but the Japanese bevan solzing the goods an hour before the deadline after the flrms_had refused to conform to the demand, The Mayor, of Haiphong immediately informed the Hfanol Government of the situation—United Press.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.