WAR IN SOUTH CHINA

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22534, 17 October 1938, Page 9

WAR IN SOUTH CHINA

Warning t6 Powers Contemplated?

JAPANESE TAKE WAICHOW Threat to British Bases Denied (tJSXTED PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT.) .(Received October 16, 9.45 p.m.) SHANGHAI, October 15. Formosa has become a hive of activity, as a focal base for Japanese operations in South China. It ac- ' commodates 120,000 troops. Military and naval spokesmen de- ; c ]are that Japan’s programme will i be relentlessly carried out in China, ‘ but that there is no intention to take

Hong Kong or Singapore, or to advance southwards in the Pacific. 1 “Japan must consider a warning to Britain and France against continued assistance to China,” said a spokesman.

A Tokyo message says the Japanese occupied Waichow and the heavily fortified city of Namtau, which they previously turned into a shambles by air bombing. Foreign authorities have been adyijed to warn their nationals against

The area in South China affected by the new Japanese campaign, which is directed at cutting the railway from Kowloon fo* Canton, the main channel for supplies to the Chinese forces.

travelling in the Canton and Swatow zones, in view of impending military operations. A message from Hong Kong says that the Chinese claim that they recaptured Tamshui, killing 5000 Japanese. Six hundred refugees have reached Hong Kong, where the authorities are!' empowered to requisition food supplies. Prices have doubled in the last two days. The Hong Kong correspondent of “The Times” says the Japanese are reported to have issued an . ultimatum demandinjg .the surrender of Canton forthwith under penalty of ruthless bombing. Communication Severed All communications between Hong Kong and. Canton are disrupted. Four hundred thousand people are evacuating Canton at the Government’s expense. The seat of the municipal and provincial governments is being moved inland to Yumgyuen. Foreign Ambassadors have been requested to ask their governments to take steps to prevent Chinese troops in South China from constructing military works close to foreign property or to use foreign territory as a means of transit; also to refrain from moving foreign troops, warships, and aircraft between Swatow and. Pakhoi during a Japanese military action, or alternatively to give 10 days’ notice of their intentions.

Foreign circles in Shanghai point out that all such precautions have already been taken. Japan will be held responsible for damage, but it is obviously impracticable to restrict the movements of warships which are protecting life and property. The Hong Kong correspondent of the British United Press states that Waichow is reported to be in flames. There were 1000 casualties after an all day bombing attack. A Japanese communique claims that the landing at Bias Bay .was accomplished without a single casualty. It adds that the army is now consolidating at a base 10 miles inland under cover of naval guns. \ A second South China invading force is expected to land at Namtau to cut through the railway north of Shumchan, and join the Bias Bay troops. Landing of Troops The Hong Kong correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph” states that Japanese troops continue to disembark in South China. The total at Present is 100,000, against whom 1.000,000 Kwantung troops can be “Town within a week. Twenty Japanese transports, escorted by 15 warships, landed de--1 taemnents at Taichau Bay, six miles wom the Hong Kong frontier. These ■hacked Namtau. u- I. force which landed at mas Bay reached the Waichow-Nim-®nan, railway, where later detarch®ems from Bias Bay joined them. . Ja P3ocse bombers have already Waichow, Chengmuktau, Piklo, , Sheklung. They killed 250 at owatow and dropped handbills dethat in default of surrender **f cities will be destroyed.

JAPANESE DRIVE TO HANKOW ■ (Received October 16, 9,10 p.m.) * , TOKYO, October 15. The -.. Japanese have arranged Hation-wide eye-witnesses’ broadJ-* 8 * 8 of the progress of their pincer a ß ains t Hankow. NT* 1 ® Japanese have captured