JAP. PROPAGANDA.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 248, 19 October 1937, Page 5

JAP. PROPAGANDA.

WAR IN CHINA OVER.

VISITORS' IMPRESSION. MITCH CHEERING, NO CRYING. (Prom Our Own Correspondent.) MONTREAL, September 25. A reading of the English language Press of Japan gives the impreesion that the war in China is over, N. L. Higgiu-| eon, a visitor from Rotorua, New Zea-| land, said in an interview in the Windsor Hotel. Accompanied by Mrs. Hifrgineon, he recently spent three weeke in Japan. "The account* we were reading of the war in the English papers over there had all Chinese aerodromes destroyed," he said. "Not a 'plane wa« left to them, while thousands and thousand* of Chinese had been killed. When we left the country we felt the whole business must be practically over. It looked a* thoilgh they had eettled everything and were just carrying oh with the mopping up which wee mere child's play. It wasn't until we got aboard ship and eaw the wireleee reports that we realised how much propaganda the country was getting." A nation organised on a war footing was the way Japan appeared to Mr. Higginson, who described scenes of crowds seeing eoldiere off at railway stations between Kobe and Yokohama. "As many as 100 would eee one man off at some places." he said. "There are always a lot of flags waring. There is much cheering and. it eeemed strange to Uβ. never any crying. It is part of theiß belief that they are cheerfully saying good-bye to a man who is going ijto die for his country." Mrs. Higgiiwon remarked at this point that they had frequently encountered girls and women walking along the ! streets with strips of linen cloth marked ; off in small equaree, in each of which • a woman passer-by wa# asked to make a knot. When a strip was completed ►j in this fashion '♦ wn* given to a soldier las a charm against death.