JAPAN STARTS WAR

Greymouth Evening Star, 29 July 1937, Page 7

JAPAN STARTS WAR

ARMY AND NAVY READY ATTACK ON PEKIN [by CABLE —PRESS ASSN. —COPYRIGHT.] TOKIO, July 28. The Foreign Office spokesman, Mr. Tatsuo Kawai, formally announced that. Japan, having abandoned hope of a. peaceful arrangement, will proceed to a. military settlement of the North China trouble. Mr. Kawai said the mere withdrawal of the 37th Division was now deemed entirely insufficient to ensure the safety of the lives and property of Japanese nationals. The Emperor had received the Minister for War and discussed the situation. The Minister for the Navy (Admiral Mitsuzasa Yonai) announced that the Navy is standing by, ready to cooperate in the military operations in North China. These at present consist. of a full-scale attack on Pekin from three sides, simultaneously pouring a storm of shells on the city. Colonel Matsui, the envoy of General Katsuki, informed General Sung Cheh-yuan, the North Chinese commander, that Japan had been finally forced to take independent, action. He added that the Chinese insincerity, shown by the treacherous firing on Japanese troops at the westrn gate of Pekin, was an unforgivable insult. General Sung Cheh-yuan, however, had already rejected the Japanese ultimatum.

DETERMINED DRIVE OPENED. PEKIN, July 27. The distant roar of artillery can be heard north, south, and west of Pekin. Fighting is now proceeding at Papao-shan, in addition to Nanyuan and Tong-shan, suggesting that the Japanese have begun a determined drive to dislodge the whole of the Chinese 29th Army from the Pekin area. The fighting at Tung-haow ceased at. nightfall. Two Japanese air squadrons are at present carrying out punitive bombing raids south and west oi Pekin, namely, at Nan-yuan, where the 38th Chinese Division is reported to have been routed. It. is reported from Hong Kong that the Japanese Government has ordered its nationals to evacuate Swatow, Amoy, and Foochow. Japanese headquarters in Tientsin announce that, they have no intention of. making 100,000,000 Chinese in North China the object of punitive action. Such action will be directed solely against the Chinese who oppose Japanese troops. FIGHTING AT PEKIN. PEKIN, July 28. Severe fighting has broken out in Pekin, which is believed to be the first main objective of the Japanese attack. British and other foreign troops manned the gates of the Legation quarters as a precaution. Chinese troops are hastening to Pekin, in preparation for the defence of the city. Tho Japanese claim to have captured Nan-yuan, five miles south of Pekin. JA P RE INF ORC E M E NTS. (Received July 29. 11 a.m.) TIENTSIN. July 28. The Consular Corps met. io discuss measures to ensure the safety of foreigners. Three thousand Japanese reinforcements have left Tientsin tor the front. JAP. REVERSE CLAIMED (Recd. July 29, 8 a.m.). NANKING, July 28.

The Chinese claim to have occupied Tungchow, and destroyed the railway bridge at Yangtung, cutting off the. Japanese retreat. They also claim to have driven the Japanese out. of Fengtai. PLANES CAPTURED. (Received July 29. 11.30.a.m.) NANKING. July 28. The Chinese claim to have captured 200 Japanese planes at. Fengtai. still packed in transport crates. AWAITING ZERO HOUR. PEKIN. July 28. The firing died down at midnight. The Japanese military spokesman said: Zero hour is noon to-morrow. We may have to blow up the gates ot Pekin. PROTECTION OF FOREIGNERS. TOKIO. July 28.

The British Charge D’Affaires called on the Foreign Minister, who gave an ussurunco that every effort, would be made not to endanger the lives and property of foreigners in Pekin.

DOUBTFUL VICTORIES

(Recd. July 29, 2 p.m.) LONDON, July 28

The absence of confirmation of the Chinese “successes.” combined with positive Japanese denials of them, caused foreign circles to doubt the authenticity of the Chinese reports of victories. Nanking Government cabled the Chinese Embassy in London that the Chinese troops had recovered Lengfang and driven out the Japanese from Tungchow, where they captured thiee tanks, and hoped shortly to dominate the autonomous area of Hopei, of which Tungchow is the capital. The Chinese declare that they captured seven bombers when they took Chaochiateng aerodrome, southward of Pekin. Signs of an effective Japanese rally are perceptible, however, in the Chinese admission that the Japanese reoccupied Fengtai after a counterattack lasting seven hours. They also doggedly counter-attacked at Lensfang. Telegramd from overseas Chinese are deluging the Government. They urge resistance to the death and promise unlimited money supplies. , The foreign forces at Pekin consists of 200 Lancashire Fusiliers, 500 American marines, 250 French and 100 Italian troops. The Japanese Embassy guard is greatly augmented. There were twenty thousand Japanese troops in the Pekin and Tientsin areas on July 25.

MR EDEN'S PEACE EFFORT. t [BRITISH OFFICIAL. WIRELESS.] RUGBY, July 28. The Foreign Secretary saw both the Chinese and United States Ambassadors, ani.disc.ussed..-t.he-.Ear Eastern situation. In a Commons answer, he said that urgent representations had been made in Tokio against fighting in Pekin itself. U.S.A. ATTITUDE. WASHINGTON, July 28. The Ambassadors of the United States in China and Japan have been ordered to express-the.-hope that hos-| tilities will be avoided in North China. Mr Cordell Hull, Secretary of Suite, reiterated that at present. America had no intention of invoking 'the NinePower Pact. “KIDNAPPED” SAILOR. . (Received July 29, 2.30 p.m.) SHANGHAI. July 28. Miyazaki (the Jap. sailor -reported kidnapped by Chinese on July 25) has turned up. He was not kidnapped, b„t was on a spree, during which h® was seen in a dance house by his fel low sailors, upon which, fearing punishment. he hid for two < t boarded a British steamer, but jumped overboard, realising he was without a Set He spent the night nftPT which ho flung himself into tne SgtsXg. front which a boatman rescued him, and handed him to police. . /' CHINESE OFFICIAL REVIEW SETTLEMENT-EFFORTS FAIL. WELLINGTON, July 29. The Chinese Consul has received the following cablegram g Je . . Chinese authorities at Pelan de cided this afternoon to reject the P anese demand for the withdrawal of the units of the Twenty-ninth Army from Pekin and vicinity, within < specified time. The Japanese military presented an ultimatum yesterday demanding firstly, that units of t: e Thirty-seventh Division at the Lukou chiao area retire to Changsintien before noon to-day, and, secondly, that the other units of the same division inside Min and Hsiyuam retireptward to the Yangting River befoie Wednesday noon, and, thirdly, diately after the evacuation of these areas, the whole of the Thirty-seventh Division must withdraw to Pacting. According to latest information re ceived, serious fighting occurred on the outskirts of Pekin, and all along the Railway between Pekin and Tientsin. Though details are at present not available, North China seems on the eve of a major conflict. The Chinese Foreign Office spokesman, stated that althuogh responsibilman, stated that although responsibility for the outbreak of Lukouchiso incident does not rest with China, the. Chinese Government is anxious to preserve peace in East Asia, and had consistently strived for a pacific settlement through regular diplomatic channels. Tlie Chinese Foreign Minister repeatedly proposed a definite area to be fixed for the mutual withdrawal of troops. Unfortunately, Japan not only refused to accept the Chinese proposals, but persisted in sending large reinforcements to North China. Meantime, a settlement was agreed upon by the local Chinese military authorities. The Central Government Raised no objections to the terms of settlement, which are not fundamentally inconsistent with the position it has taken. The Chinese Government’s extreme forbearanace in thus endeavouring to preserve peace must bo plain to all observers. On the other hand, Japan has not only failed to withdraw her troops, but continued to send heavy reinforcements into the Pekin and Tientsin area. On the night of July 25, Japanese troops made an unprovoked attack on the Chinese garrison at Langang. during which a large number of Japanese bombing planes were brought into action. The Japanese further presented impossible demands to the Chinese local authorities and staged a rapid succession of provocative acts on the outskirts of Pekin. All these clearly indicate that the Japanese are -bent on aggravating’the present crisis, with a view to achieving their sinister designs on North China. China has exhausted her efforts for peace,, and the responsibility for future developments in North China rQsts solely with Japan. A further communication to the Consul reads: Chinese troops recaptured Fengtai and Langfang this morning. Fighting is progressing in favour of the Chinese forces at the Tungchow sector. Two squadrons of Japanese planes raided Nanyuan and Pekin this morning, dropping bombs and propaganda leaflets. General Sung Chehyuan’s. circular telegram received here this morningdeciares that continuous Japanese provocations compelled, the. Chinese forces to offer a stern, resistance for the sake of national existence.

Since the commencement of genera 1 hostilities in the Pekin and Tientsin area yesterday afternoon, Chinese troops gained the upper hand at all sectors. Fentai. the base of the Japanese military operations, was recovered at 8.40 o’clock, aand Langfang at nine o’clock this morning. Japanese troops are evacuating Tungchow, the seat of East Hopei puppet regime, the capture of which is imminent.

Eleven Japanese planes bombed Pekin and suburbs at 5.30 o’clock. The extent of. the damage is at present not ascertainable. One Japanese bomber was shot down at Hsiyuan, and seven were seized when the Chinese occupied Chaochiteng airfield, southward ■of Pekin.