CHINESE PLANES CROSS CHINA SEA.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 118, 21 May 1938, Page 9

CHINESE PLANES CROSS CHINA SEA.

WARSHIPS DEFIED. Leaflets Dropped on Naval Bases. APPEAL TO JAPANESE PEOPLE. United Press Association.—Copyright. (Received 12 noon.) LONDON, May 20. Eor the first time in history, says ;i. Hankow message, Chinese war 'planes crossed the China sea in defiance of fire from warships. They dropped leaflets over Osaka and the naval bases at Sasebo and Nagasaki. These assured the Japanese people that China had 110 enmity towards them and appealed to them to rise against military invasion of China. "VVb have you at our mercy. China is strong and undefeated," declared the pamphlets. ; The flight covered 1000 miles and occupied llh hours. The commander of I the flight, which comprised 27 'planes, ■wag Pilot Hsu Shun-shan, who said that the Japanese warships futilely fired at the 'planes. When the 'planes reached Japan they circles south-west of the island and dropped pamphlets. They did not encounter anti-aircraft lire or pursuit "planes though the cities were "blaekedout." A Tokyo official announcement, while accusing the Chinese of exaggerating t heir successes, emphasises that premature optimism is unjustifiable and says hostilities must be energetically pressed, Renewed Chinese denials of the fall of Hsuchow, and a Japanese claim that ."><> Chinese divisions, totalling 350,000 ii»%. have been trapped in the Japanese pi-ncer movement following the capture of Hsuchow, are the chief items of this morning's conflicting news, says a message from Shanghai.

The Japanese declare that the forces trapped include ten of Marshal Chiang ' Kai-shek's crack divisions, six of which had previously escaped. It is estimated 1 t hat 7000 Chinese dead were found in lisucliow and its environs. ] Countering the Chinese denials, the 1 main Japanese forces are reported to have made a triumphal entry intoji 1 fsuchow at noon, says a message from < Tokyo. Prince Kanin cabled congratulations to the commanders of the North and South armies. I] I LONELY JAPANESE. j j Supply of Wives for Manchukuo j Settlers. j WIFEHOOD INSTITUTE. (Received 11.30 a.m.) LONDON, May 20. The "Daily-Telegraph" Tokyo correspondent says the Government is attacking the problem of providing wives for 2100 lonely Japanese settlers in Man(imkuo. It has established an instituI ion for training women for wifehood in the country, where conditions vastly differ from those in Japan. One million second sons of Japanese farmers will go to Manchukuo in the next five years, entailing a constant supply of brides. JAPANESE PROTEST. Embargo on Export of Iron Ore From Australia. COMPENSATION WANTED. SYDNEY, May 20. As a sequel to the Federal Government's embargo on the exportation of iron ore, announced yesterday, which particularly affects the Yampi Sound deposits under lease to the Japanese, strong protests have been sent to the Prime Minister, Mr. Lyons, by the Japanese Consul-General, as well as by the Premier of West Australia, Mr. J. O. Willcock, whose Government controls the Yampi area in North-Western Australia. The Japanese Consul-General insists that the Government shall compensate the Yampi interests for the heavy outlay involved in the preliminary works. Mr. Willcock declared that the Federal embargo constituted a shocking abuse of power and will entail great loss of revenue to the West Australian Government. He added that no serious attempt had ever been made to investigate Australia's iron ore resources and consequently how could the Federal Government arrive at the conclusion that the resources were limited? JAP. DRIVE CHECKED. CHINESE CAPTURE TOWN. (Received 1 p.m.) SHANGHAI, May 20. The Chinese have captured Kineian and checked the Japanese drive on Kweiteh.