WORST HORRORS IN TOP JAP. AIR RAID.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 126, 31 May 1938, Page 7

WORST HORRORS IN TOP JAP. AIR RAID.

REPLACE GERMANS.

CANTON SUFFERS.

foreign Missionaries Cry For Help.

awful plight or refugees,

United Press Association.—Copyright.

(Received 12.30 p.m.)

LONDON, May 30.

According to a Canton message it officially stated that 200 were Hilled and 300 wounded in to-day's :4ir raid by Japanese air bombers.

British missionaries in Canton have lulled an appeal to the Archbishop of Canterbury to draw public attention to, lilie bombing of Chinese civilians' and the British Government to protest tt> Japan. American residents have similarly cabled to Mr. Cordell Hull, Secretary of fcMate. .For the third successive day the Japanese carried out an air raid on Canton, aeroplanes dropping 40 bombs, mainly upon Government offices, but adjacent dwellings again suffered. The continuous anti-aircraft barrage endangered the foreign settlement at Shameen, which the raiders have hitherto avoided.

bound for Hongkong had toft sail early to escape the swarms of refugees pressing upon the quaysides. Thte British United Press estimates 300 were killed to-day, making the thnae days' total 1300.

W'ieeping women are continuously searching for relatives among the smoldering debris. Tlie devastation included the flimsy pooreir houses, which burned like tinder, and ] also eight mansions owned by wealtoiy Chinese in the Tungshan district.

Thefrworst horrors were on the river front, where thousands of terrorstrickenfr people were huddled in their wrecked? homes or river boats.

The British gunboats Cicala and Seaniew are on the way to Canton from Hongkong to join the Moth and Tarantula.

The 750,000 refugees already in Hongkong were swelled in the weekend by 9000 from Canton and many from Amoy, and soon will total 1,000,000. The situation is most difficut owing to the lack of accommodation and anxiety lest cholera and smallpox should break out. Inoculation is being hastened and the authorities are considering closing the frontier.

Chinese Seeking French Army

Leaders.

APPLICATIONS TO RUSSIA.

HONGKONG, May 25

China's Government is making attempts to secure the services of French officers to replace the German leaders who have been recalled by Herr Hitler, it is reliably reported. France has already > given unofficial approval, it is stated.

Simultaneously . with, these negotiations, China is urgently requesting the Soviet'for a supply of arms and ammunition, and for the services of military instructors.

At least four of the 39 German officers 1 serving as advisers to the Chinese armies will refuse to obey Herr Hitler's order to return to Germany, Chinese authorities report.

Several others held a conference last night, and are reported to favour remaining in China.

The leader of the Germans, General Falkenhausen, is still in the Lunghai railway zone, supervising the reorganisation of the Chinese forces after the loss of Suchow. STIR IN JAPAN. Proposal to Construct New

Railway.

ENTRANCE INTO CHINA.

(Received 2 p.m.) TOKYO, May 30.

A stir has been caused by the news that a group of French banks is backing the construction of a railway within six months to connect Haiphong, IndoChina, with Nanning, Kwangsi, which, next to Hongkong, is China's best route for importing munitions from Europe.

ON WAR FRONTS.

BOTH SIDES CLAIM GAINS

(Received 12.30 p.m.)

HANKOW, May 30,

Despite his depleted divisions General Doihara is offering stubborn resistance after losing 4000 killed since crossing into East Honan. Chinese re-entered Sanyitsai, a strategic point north-east of Lanfeng.

Heavy fighting continues, as the result of which Chinese removed the threat to Tungkwan, besides recapturing Yungchi and Yumenkow.

A Shanghai message states that the Japanese claim to have outflanked the Chinese at Chengchow and forced entry into Pohsien, 40 miles south of Kweiteh, from which Japanese forces are hastening to relieve General Doihara's army, against which Marshal Chiang Kai-shek is directing the offensive from Chengchow.

" REDS'" ACTIVITIES.

MANY TO BE TRIED IN JAPAN.

(Received 9.30 a.m.)

TOKYO, May 30.

It is officially disclosed that 235 persons suspected of Communist activities throughout Japan, are at present being tried in camera. The trials follow the arrests of 400 in May, 1936, and 1100 others in following months. Those arrested include Buddhist priests, students and members of the Lobo'ir and Coinmaiiiist parties.