Evening star., 1940-10-08

.
ment last January !, including 8,l45
in Japan. 1903 in China, 1,547 in
Hong Kong and 1913 in French Indo-
| China.
Trip Cancelled Last Night.
Lord Lothian told reporters after
a conference with President Roose-
welt at the White House today that
he had planned to return to Britain
by Clipper ship scheduled to take
off this afternoon. Increasing ten
| sion over the Far Eastern situation
raised some question on Sunday as
| to whether he could make the trip,
| he said. and definite cancellation
was ordered by his government last
night.
The Ambassador did not disclose
/ the nature of his discussions with
Mr.. Roosevelt today.
Asked if there had been CONVEX
Sation about the British decision
to open the Burma road on Octo-
| Der IT, announced to Parliament
this morning by Prime Minister
| Churchill, Lord Lothian acknowl-
edged that this action is the crux
OF the present Far Eastern crisis.
Of his personal plans, the Ambas-
Sador remarked that lone ought to
go home to ones people at least
every six months. When it appeared
the battle of Britain had been won
for the fall, my plans were made.
But, OF course, in the face of this
new situation l must stay on the
job"
! President Roosevelt invited Ad-
miral J. o. Richardson, commander
in chief of the United States fleet,
and William D. Leahy, former chief
of naval operations and now Gov
ernor of Puerto Rico. to lunch with
him at the White House
Admiral Richardson has just re-
turned from the Pacific, where the
bulk of the feet has been stationed
for more than year.
The Chief Executive saw Secre-
tary Stimson briefly this morning
and the War Department chief said
it was on routine departmental
affairs
Cooperation Indicated.
British decision to reopen the
Burma road into China on October
II and reports that the japanese
Navy had landed forces on Liu
Kung Island off Shantung PENN
sula, leased by the British for
naval base, were among develop
ments pointing toward a showdown
between Japanese and Anglo
American policies.
The British refusal to renew the
agreement with Japan for closing
of the Burma route for transport of
military supplies to the Chinese,
officially communicated to Toxic to-
day, was a positive sign of increased
cooperation between Great Britain
| and this Government which Jap
anese spokesmen had warned might
! be construed as hostile act.
The United States, which has sup
| ported China with loans, coupled
| with embargoeS on some strategic
materials to Japan, had opposed the
| temporary closing of the road in the
first place. It's projected reopening
clears the way for resumption of
shipments of war supplies to bolster
Chang Kai-shek's resistance to the
Japanese invaders of China.
Along with this country, the Soviet
has been one of the major sources
of supply for the Chinese armies.
Russia's role in the faSt-moving
scene was brought to the forefront
of speculation by renewal late yes
terday of a series of talks between
Undersecretary of State Sumner
Welles and Constantine Oumansky,
Soviet Ambassador, which were
broken off in August.
Officials here and in London are
anxious to determine RussiaS actual
attitude toward the new German
Italian-Japanese alliance, assigning
Japan to leadership in Asia and ap-
parently overlooking Soviet interests
in that area. The axis powers have
indicated efforts for a side agree
ment between Japan and Russia,
while Anglo-American diplomatic
activity has been directed at en-
couraging the Soviet to at least con-
tinue aid to the Chinese.
Current Washington-Lon Mos
cow talks appeared to be aimed at
removal of points of friction between
the Soviet and the English-speaking
democracies, with possibility of a
British Russian trade agreement
figuring in the picture.
Mr.. Oumansky called on Mr..
Welles shortly after 6 pm. yester-
day, following numerous other con-
ferenceS indicating unusual activity
at the State Department. Secretary
Hull talked with Lord Lothian and
Mr.. Welles conferred briefly with
Richard g. Casey, Australian Min
lister, in a continuance of conversa-
tionS understood to be pointing the
way toward cooperative defense &C
ton in the Pacific area.
Meanwhile, practical problems of
naval operations in that region were
discussed by Secretary of the Navy