TROOPS FOR CHINA

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 197, 18 May 1936, Page 9

TROOPS FOR CHINA

Japan’s Notification To Britain IMMEDIATE ACTION Protection of Nationals Thought Necessary By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. London, May 15. The “Sun-Herald” news agency says Japan has notified Britain that Japanese reinforcements arc immediately moving into North China, some going to Tientsin and some to Peking. Additional troops will be dispatched next week. The Japanese assert that the movement is necessary to protect the increased numbers of Japanese nationals in North China and to check the growing activities of Communists. However, states the agency, there is a strong possibility of the troop movements being associated with the sweeping demands with which Japan contemplates confronting the Chinese Government. The Japanese smuggling activities are believed to be part of a plan to torpedo the Chinese currency reform and generally so to embarrass Chinese administration that the Nanking Government will be unable to resist Japan's demands, which cloak her ambition to control all China, as she now controls Manchukuo. Currency manipulation and the development of the Japanese autonomy movement: are undermining China’s economic and financial strength and threaten to prevent the projected currency reform, in connection with which Sir Leith Ross is at present in China. The “Sun-Herald” news agency reported on May 12 that Sir Robert Clive, British Ambassador at Tokio, had made representations to the Japanese Government in connection with smuggling along the entire North China coastline from Tientsin to Canton. Smuggling threatening British interests was stated to have assumed enormous proportions, and to have caused a Customs crisis, the whole system being disorganised, and revenues on wind) British loans were guaranteed dwindling precariously. Japanese were considered to be behind the movement. Chinese officials declared that smuggling would be controllable within a week if the Japanese militarists did not prevent Customs launches operating within the three-mile limit on the North Chinn coast on a pretext of breach of the Tangkii truce, which prevents armed Chinese action against offenders. It was stated that the belief is widely held that this is part of a Japanese attempt to undermine the whole of the Chinese financial structure. AIMS IN PACIFIC Impending Developments THE “SOUTHWARD POLICY” (Received May 17, 6.30 p.m.) Tokio, May 16. Japanese newspapers feature details of Japan’s impending developments in the Pacific. They state that as a result of pressure from the navy a high naval officer is becoming Governor-Gen-eral of Formosa, with increased status and powers to enable proper attention to the navy’s so-called “southward policy.” The Governor-General will control the Marianne, Caroline and Marshall Islands, numbering 2550 islands, thus ensuring rational reorganisation of a huge area of tbe Pacific extending southward from Japan to the Equator. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Arita, informed the Diet that Japan has firmly decided never to give up the rights conferred upon her by tho mandate in the South Pacific islands. BIG SERVICE VOTES Lower House Passes Budget (Received May 17, 6.30 p.m.) Tokio, May 15. The budget has been passed by the Lower House. It provides for an expenditure of £135,000,000, of which £32,000.000 is for tbe navy and £31,000.000 for the army. The sum of £41.000.000 is required in loans to balance the Budget.