Evening star., 1941-07-23
France Negotiating
For Protection of
Colony by japan
~ the Associated Press.

Japan and France are nego-
tiating for technical japanese
protection of ndo-China, it was
disclosed officially today in
Vichy, and the Japanese EN-
bassy in Washington said it had
received a report-without off,
cial confirmation-that Japan
and the Vichy government had
reached an agreement on Indo-
China.
The Vichy disclosures said nego-
tiations are under way both there
and at Hanoi. French Indo-China,
after what French authorities said
were British troop concentrations
along the Malaya and Burma bor-
ders of Indo-C China.
Earlier Far East dispatches said
Japan has made sweeping demands
for concessions in southern French
rndo- China, possible springboard
for an attack on Britain's great
naval base at Singapore. and that
the French virtually had yielded.
Catroux Reported OFF Coast.
Newspapers in German
Paris charged that Gen. Georges
Catroux, an active Free French
leader, was cruising off the Indo-
China coast directing an increas-
Ing flow of De Gaullist propaganda,
and that the British, Free French
and Chinese were comforting pre-
sumably with view to a division
of Indo- China.
Gen. Catroux only fay days ago
took part in the negotiations in
Syria which ended the war there
There has been no other hint that
he was in the Far East.
1t was stated officially in Vichy
that nothing could be said about the
conversations between Vice Premier
Admiral Jean Darlan and japanese
Ambassador Sotomatsu Kato except
that they were the result of threat
by British and Chinese troops to
Indo-China.
Parallel negotiations are in prog
ress at Hanoi between Governor
General Admiral Jean Decoux and
the Japanese military mission.
The official French position was
that since Japan is ''the principal
country interested in the peaceful
order in the Orient" the French are
comforting with her over the threat
to the country to which the Jap
anese have given guarantees.
Details Unavailable.
A Reuters British news agency
dispatch from Hanoi said it had been
confirmed officially that the Japa-
nese had demanded the use Of IA
cilities in Southern ndo-China. BY
facilities" it was assumed the jap
anese meant airflelds and naval
bases.
No details of the Japanese de-
mands are yet available, the Reuters
dispatch said.
Conferences between Admiral
Decoux and Maj. Gen. Raisho
Sunita, chief of the japanese mill
tary mission, were said to be con-
tinuing at Hanoi with the end not
yet in sight. They have been con-
ferring for two days.
A tight censorship has been
elamped down in Hanoi on the re-
ported Japanese demands and the
French reaction to them. 1t is for
hidden to disclose their origin or dis
cuss their nature. but the japanese
are pictured there as having made
broad demands in Southern Indo-
China and the conferences are con-
cerned only with details for carrying
out what is assumed to be another
japanese expansion program in this
French colony.
Z. S. and Britain Watchful.
Washington and London watched
the critical situation with mounting
anxiety.
Berlin. too. kept an eye on de-
velopments which might affect
United States aid to Britain and
China and the German radio de-
clared:
According to news available here,
the japanese government has
learned that British aims are direct
ed at French Indo-China.
The Japanese government is de-
termined to defend its interests with
all the means at its disposal against
such intentions. The French gov
ernment is likewise believed to share
this view"
Dienst aus Deutschland, COM
mentary close TO the Foreign Office,
said there had been an exchange
of views" among Berlin, Rome and
TOXIC concerning Indo-China.
London Aware" of Aims.
In London, Foreign Secretary
Anthony Eden told Parliament that
the British government was keenly
aware of persistent reports to the
effect that the Japanese government
intended to take action to obtain
naval and air bases in Southern
Indo-China"
Mr.. Eden declared fatty that
alleged British designs on either
Indo-China or neighboring Thailand
were entirely non-eXiStent."
Japan already holds air bases in