Evening star., 1941-03-04
Japan Again Fixes
Reply DeadIine on
Thai-Indo-China Row
Final Answer From
France Is Expected
By Tomorrow Noon
BY the Associated Press.

TOXIC, March 4.-Domei, jap
anese news agency, indicated today
that Japan for the second time in a
week had set a time limit for reply
by France to proposals for settle
ment of her Indo-C China border dis
pute with Thailand.
The news agency said Foreign
Minister YoSuke MatSuoka was be-
lieved to have told French Ambas-
sador Charles Arsene Henry that a
final answer" was expected by We'd
nesday noon 90 pm. today.
If Frances answer is received, the
news agency suggested that the fifth
conference of delegates to the ia
pan-sponsored peace conference
would be held Wednesday night TO
decide final details.
MatSuoka and the Ambassador
met for 40 minutes today to discuss
modified plan advanced by Japan
for settlement of the dispute, but
authoritative sources said they failed
to reach an agreement.
1t was indicated that the Japa-
nese considered the result of today's
meeting another setback in their ef-
forts to bring swift settlement of
the controversy.
Japanese sources indicated that a
decision must be reached in another
interview between MatSuoka and
the French envoy set for tomorrow
because of the necessity of COM
municating orders to Thai and Indo-
China troops before the arrnistice
ends Friday.
Observers believed the French
still were attempting to obtain addi-
tional concessions. The outcome of
the peace negotiations here there
fore appeared to depend on whether
the Japanese would be willing
further to modify their proposals.
Admiral Sees Emperor.
Domei, Japanese news agency,
said that Navy Minister Admiral
Koisho Oikawa reported to Emperor
Hirohito on the state of affairs
under his jurisdiction. Details of
his 45-minute interview with the
Emperor were not disclosed but the
meeting possibly was connected with
the Japanese-mediated peace nego-
tiations.
The japanese press prominently
displayed Vichy dispatches indicat-
ing that the French government had
bowed to Japanese proposals for
ending the border conflict.
The japanese Parliament was in
recess, having completed all business
at hand.
Premier Prince Fumimaro Konoye,
i'll some time with cold. was re-
covered and back on the job.
Despite the failure of today's con-
ference to produce a final agree
ment, Japanese officials were opti-
mistic that a settlement would be
forthcoming shortly.
Thailand's agreement to the new
Japanese proposal was said to have
already been received. ...
Modified Proposal.
Koh Ishii, cabinet Information
Bureau spokesman, announced prior
to the meeting between the Foreign
Minister and the French envoy that
Japan had presented the modified
proposal and was determined to
complete the negotiations under her
mediation before the Thailand-
Indo-China armistice ends Friday.
Nature of the notifications was
not disclosed. IShii indicated, how
ever, the big point to be settled was
Thailand's claim to the section of
Cambodia Province surrounding
Sisophon-directly east Of the Thai
capital, Bangkok
Japanese circles in the French
capital at Vichy said late last
night French ministers had &C.
cepted all except few minor de-
tails of the new Japanese pro-
posal.
ct was said to conform sub
stantially to notifications the
French asked when Toxic made
what was described as a final
offer" last week and to have
dropped demands on Indo-China
for territory in upper Laos Prov
ince east of the Mekong River
in the vicinity of Luangprabang.
acknowledging that France
agreed to give up considerable
territory, though not as much as
the large slices of Laos and Cam
bodia which Thailand demanded
originally, French informants
said, I'VE yielded to Japan, not
Thailand.")
The Japanese Cabinet Information
Bureau spokesman declared that al
though Japan insisted settlement
be reached as quickly as possible
and that discussions be completed
before the armistice expires-no
actual time limit was set for action
~, thn YYnu y,rnnasal