JAPANESE BOMBERS

Evening Star, Issue 22975, 4 June 1938, Page 17

JAPANESE BOMBERS

ANOTHER RAID ON CANTON CONCENTRATION ON RAILWAY TERMINUS NO DIRECT HITS REGISTERED Press Association —By Telegraph—Copyright SHANGHAI, June 3. It is announced that during May Japanese naval aircraft carried out 1,800 raids over China, dropping 900 tons of explosives. Eight bombers arrived at Canton at 3 o’clock this afternoon and raided for an hour, concentrating mostly on the area in the vicinity of the Canton-Kowloon railway terminus, where thousands of refugees are awaiting transport to Hongkong The bombs dropped, however, missed their mark. THIRTY-FIVE CASUALTIES CANTON, June 3. (Received June 4, at 11 a.m.) Thirty-five people wore killed and wounded in this morning’s air raid. PREVIOUS CASUALTIES LONDON, Juno 3. Replying to a question in the House of Commons, the Prime Minister (Mr Chamberlain) said that bombing of Canton had resulted in 450 killed and 100 wounded. Bombs fell in places of no military importance, Mr Chamberlain said. URGENT PROTEST BY BRITAIN (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, June 3. (Received June 4, at 11.30 a.m.) Replying to a question in the House of Commons regarding the recent bombing of Canton, Mr Chamberlain said ho regretted to say that the reports received showed that Japanese aircraft bombed Canton on May 28, 29, and 30, As the icsults of the raids approximately 450 were killed and 1,000 wounded, and considerable damage was caused to private property. 'lhe reports indicated that whatever had been the objects aimed at most of the bombs fell on places .which could not be considered as of military importance. Instructions had been sent to the British Ambassador at Tokio to protest urgently against this indiscriminate bombing of .civilian areas and thickly populated centres.

RETURN OF AMERICAN PROPERTY RESULT OF PROTEST. WASHINGGTON, June 3. The State Department has been officially advised that the Japanese Government has acceded to at least some of the demands in the American protest on June 1. The Japanese have formally returned certain property belonging to American missions. A later message from Tokio states that Japan has restored to the Americans the mission station at Chapei, but not the university and business properties. The Japanese Government has also promised permission to four British missionaries .to return to Nanking. JAPANESE CABINET NEW WAR MINISTER. TOKIO, June 3. Lieutenant-general Itagaki, who has been recalled from China, has been appointed Minister of War, in place of General Sugiyaina, who will take a seat on the Supreme War Council. Lieutenant-general Itagaki is the youngest War Minister in the history of Japan. He is regarded as having outstanding ability and he favours the speeding-up of the campaign in China beginning with the capture of Hankow. FRONT-LINE EXPERIENCE TOKIO, June 3. (Received June 4, at 11 a.m.) Lieutenant-general Itagaki is 53 years of age. He participated in tho capture of Hsuchow. PIRATES AT WORK PORTUGUESE STEAMER SEIZED. SHANGHAI, June 3. Following Wednesday s piracy of a steam tender belonging to the Dollar Line in tho Yangstee-kiang, yielding booty worth £2,500, armed junks with a complement of 100 boarded a small Portuguese cargo steamer entering Hangchow Bay. They threw hand grenades, killing the second engineer and smashing tho mainmast. The pirates abandoned the prize three hours later, taking the purser and four Chinese sailors as hostages, together with all available valuables. MISS IRIS WILKINSON SAFE SHANGHAI, June 3. (Received June 4, at 10 a.m.) It is learned that the New Zealand journalist, Miss Iris Wilkinson (Robin Hyde) is staying with United States missionaries at Hsuchow. Repealed inquiries from the Japanese evoked repiles that there was neither time nor moans of communication to identify foreigners at Hsuchow individually,.

SINO-SOVIET PACT ACTIVITY IN OUTER MONGOLIA. LONDON, June 3. (Received June 4, at 1 p.m.J The Shanghai correspondent of ‘ The Times’ says the Japanese are fighting in the Langfeng and Kaifeng areas to rectify the line preparatory to a general advance upon the Peking-Hankow railway against fierce Chinese resistance. Both sides are claiming advantages. The Hongkong correspondent of 4 The Times ’ says the afternoon air raid on Canton killed 50 workers in a textile factory. The Riga correspondent of 4 The Times ’ says that, though the result of the mission to Russia has not been disclosed, it is clear that a non-aggression pact has been concluded between China and Russia. There is great activity on the routes loading to China, especially in Outer Mongolia, where Red army officers are superintending the training of volunteers going to China. Large supplies of ammunition are being sent to China.