JAPANESE BASE SAID TO EXIST NEAR SAN DIEGO

Correspondent Reports Mexican Bay Mined and Occupied by Fleet of Warships and Auxiliary Vessels.

LOS ANGELES, Cal., Wednesday, April 14. -- Three Japanese warships, under Admiral Nakayama, with six collies and supply ships, manned altogether by about 4,000 men, were recently in Turtle Bay, Lower California, standing by the stranded Japanese cruiser Asama, according to a staff correspondent of The Los Angeles Times, who has just returned from a trip of investigation.

Turtle Bay is 409 miles south of San Diego, Cal., and is said to be the best harbor north of Magdalena Bay, the west coast rendezvous of the United States navy.

No effort is being made to float the Asama, which the correspondent avers is lying in soft mud at the entrance to the harbor. This was explained, he said, by Japanese officers who declared they were awaiting the arrival of a great crane ship.

Jap Camp Established.

Meantime, however, the correspondent asserted, Turtle Bay has been mined by the Japanese, ammunition has been landed and a large camp established ashore. Preparations also were made, he added, to land guns from the Asama. The mines were laid in the harbor, the correspondent said he was told, as an additional precaution against attack by German naval vessels.

The warships guarding the Asama were the Chitose, Idzumo and Tokioba. When the correspondent sought to get closer to these vessels and to visit the Asama, he said he was arrested and was told by Lieutenant Tomasada of the Idzumo that it was dangerous to cruise about the bay and also that visiting was to be firmly discouraged.