Speculations were rife yesterday as to what prompted Japanese troops to occupy the Honeymoon Ballroom, at 40 Great Western Road, on Sunday afternoon when they marched in and forced the management to close down.
In view of the reports appearing in the local Chinese press to the effect that the Japanese contemplate demanding that they be assigned to take up duties in the British Sector When it is vacated, this is regarded as a significant step on their part to preclude any chances against the sector being handed over to other foreign forces here.
No comment, however, was forthcoming from the British official circles here.
The American reply was delivered to Mr. Kensuke Horinouchi, the Japanese Ambassador, at an interview at the State Department.
According to authoritative quarters in Tokyo, it is learned that the American reply to the Japanese protest registers no change to the original American attitude that the restrictions imposed on the export of aviation petrol constitutes a defence measure and in no way represented discrimination against Japan.—Domei.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.