ON LARGE SCALE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 302, 21 December 1937, Page 7

ON LARGE SCALE.

reinforce navy. Britain's Probable Move in The Far East. PROTECT VITAL INTERESTS. t "iti'd l'rcss Association.—Copyright. (Received 12.30 p.m.) LONDON, December 20. lhe "Daily Mail" diplomatic correspondent says the British Cabinet does not desire to cause unnecessary provocation jn delicate situation, but if vital .British interests are tuither threatened the strengthening of the .Navy in the Far East on a large scale is likely. -Mr. Neville Chamberlain is expected to indicate the attitude of the <lo\ eminent by repeating Mr. Kden's declaration of their intention to defend British possessions. He will speak in the House of Commons to-morrow. lin it let t. in the "News ( hronicle, writes: "Nobody in London expects a direct attack on British leased te; i itory at Hongkong, lint t| u . Japanese ambition certainly aims at destroying British, American and other white interests in China as she could do regarding Hongkong by draining their litcblood through the capture ol Canton, while puppet (iovcrnmeiits put on the pressure in other parts oK'hiiia."'

1 lie Chinese (iovornmeiit dedaiVs that the establishment of the Peking Covernmcnt is proof of Japan s violation of Chinas territorial integrity ai(d Orders arrest and punishment as traitors of all participating in it.

fhe Japanese have launched four columns in the direction of Haugchow, the beautiful lake-side city, which,""it was hoped, would be spared 'the horrors of war. Vanguards are within 20 miles of the city.

Britain, the United States and other Powers have made representations to Tokyo to establish a safety zone at Hankow for protection of a considerable amount of shipping, almost 1000 Britons and a large number of Europeans.

JAPAN'S CASE. Veteran Diplomat's Remarkable Interview. VISCOUNT ISHII IN LONDON. LONDON", December 14. Remarkable statements were made in an interview by Viscount Jshii, the veteran Japanese diplomatist, recently officially discredited by the Tokyo Government, who is visiting Kurope as "the Japanese people's envoy" to present Japan's case to the world.

He said that, in the absence of information from Japan, he could not believe reports from Tokyo that the army had persuaded Cabinet that, even after the fall of Nanking, the war must continue and General Chiang Kai-shek's army must be pursued and destroyed.

Such an effort, said Viscount Ishii, would be too great and too expensive. Besides, it was unnecessary.

Nobody in Japan wished to destroy Chiang Kai-shek's Government, because then no administration would be left with which Japan could negotiate. Moreover, Japan could not pretend to create a Government for 450 million people.

It might be necessary for Japan to install military administrations if Chiang Kai-shek did not seek peace, and no substitute administration was created.

It would not be difficult to remain in the occupied regions, where the bulk of revenue was collected, and continue there for years, making China defray the costs of the occupation.

Nevertheless. Japan had no territorial ambitions in China.

Viscount Jshii, who declared that his mission was unofficial, said that the Japanese attacks on British and American shipping possibly were due to a mistake, because the Chinese had continually used foreign flags to disguise their movements. He added, when it was pointed out that the Bee and Panay had long been familiar features of the Yangtse-kiang, that he did not defend the bombing.

PEKING GOVERNMENT. NOT RECOGNISED BY BRITAIN. British Official Wireless. (Received 1.30 p.m.) RUGBY, December 20. "His Majesty's Government recognises the Central Government as the Government of all China and there is therefore no question of recognising the new Administration installed in Peking," Mr. Anthony Eden told the House of Commons at question time. JAP. OFFICERS KILLED. VICTIMS OF THEIR OWN BOMBS LONDON, December 20. Missiles from Japanese aeroplanes killed several Japanese officers when, after disposing of the Panay, they returned to destroy the oil vessels. The officers saw the aeroplanes, swooping down. They shouted madly, waved fla'gs and hurled themselves down on a pontoon on the south bank of the Yangtse, to which two of the tankers had crossed, but without avail.