Evening star., 1940-07-15
Burma CIosinq
Offered If Toxic
Will Seek Peace
Britain Is Reported
Willing to Bar Rood
For Three Months
BY the Associatef Press.


British circles said today Britain
had told Japan she would close the
only route by which war supplies,
mainly American, reach the Chinese
Central government for three
months If Japan would use that
time to seek a peace.
These circles said the United
States Government had been kept
informed, of the offer to close the
supply route-the Burma road-and
thus far had made no objections.
Washington, however, has sent
detailed comment" on the British
Japanese negotiations, 1t was said.
(Secretary Of State Hull made 1t
clear that the United States is
not participating in the reported
British efforts to speed q settle
ment of Japan and China.
(The United States Government
is maintaining its policy of pur-
suing Its own separate and in-
dependent course with respect to
situations such as the Far Eastern
conflict, Mr.. Hull said at a press
conference)
These authoritative circles said
that, although some critics might
say Britain had let China down,
the biggest assistance Britain could
render China would be to beat Ger
many. Then Britain would be free
to WELD stronger hand in the Far
East, they said.
Situation Summarized.
The situation was described au-
thoritatively thus:
l. German conquest of the Low
lands and defeat of the French
Army vastly impressed Japan and
precipitated extreme pressure against
Britain in the Far East.
T. Japan expressed unofficially a
desire to finish the Chinese war
quickly and said one thing prevent
ing it was shipment of supplies from
Western powers on the Buma road
3. Britain. although contending
that closing the Burma road would
not greatly handicap China, offered
to do so for three months, but would
retain freedom of action" if the
settlement failed to suit China,
Japan and all others interested.
That results of this peace attempt
would be known soon was reported
in q broadcast at Singapore by s. w.
Jones, acting Governor Of Malaga,
who declared "his majesty's gov-
ernment will 60 to the greatest
lef3th to avoid seconding and pro-
longing the war in the East and
will put forward every effort 1t can
afford to end it."
However. this statement by an
ofiicial virtually unknown in the Dip
lomatic world was described in Lon
don as not intended to portend a
new policy toward Japan. Rather,
1t was believed Britain intended to
offer some basis on which peace dis
cussions could be built.
May Close Road Three Months.-
1t was said reliably here today
that Mr.. Jones' statement was made
without knowledge of the Foreign
Office.
A possible new source of fric-
ton arose today when the jap
anese Navy, claiming military
necessity" issued a proclamation
barring all shipping along sections Of
the Chinese coast south of Shanghai.
In Toxic the British Ambassador
Sir Robert Leslie Craigie, continued
discussions with Foreign Minister
Hachiro Arita over the Japanese
demand that the Burma road be
closed to transport Of arms to China
British sources pointed out these
negotiations were aimed at a gen.
eral settlement, of which the Burma
road question is only phase.
Informed quarters said it prob
ably would be some time before any
definite settlement was reached.
Must Follow U. S.
The diplomatic correspondent OF
the London News Chornicle COM
mented:
'The guiding factor which Britain,
preoccupied as she is with the con-
fSea rAp TACT Dooa A-eh