JAPS. ENTER NANKING

Greymouth Evening Star, 11 December 1937, Page 7

JAPS. ENTER NANKING

AFTER CAPTURE OF GATES

FIERCE RESISTANCE OFFERED

[BY CABLE —PRESS ASSN. —COPYBIGHT.] (Received December 11, 8 a.m.) SHANGHAI, December 10.

The Domei Agency reports that the ultimatum time limit having expired without a reply the Japanese launched a general attack on Nanking. They anticipate days of desperate fighting, even if they enter the city.

General Tangshengchi greeted- the enemy with, artillery and machinegun fire, as they moved forward with machine guns, cannon and tanks. Buildings in line of fire were blown up.

The main Japanese army is still between three or four miles from the walls, every point of which, however, id -within machine-gun range. The Japanese captured the walled city of Tangsu on the south bank of the Yangtse Kiang.

The Japanese! claim' to > ( have captured Chungshan Gate, at the east wall, the Hungwu and Suihsu gates at the south east Wall, and the Tung- 1 chi Chupan Gates at the. south Wall.

OUTER WALL PASSED.*

LONDON, December 10.

Tokio reports that the Japanese have entered "Nanking are confirmed to some extent by messages from Shanghai. A detachment, descending from the Purple Mountain, battered down the Taiping Gate, Andi gairiedi a foothold between the inner and outer walls, where desperate l street fighting followed. Japanese artillery made breaches elsewhere in the outer wall.

SHORT TRUCE PROPOSAL \ _

(Recd. Dec. 11, 11 a.m.). LONDON, December ,10. The Nanking city gates which it is claimed have been captured, will give the Japanese access to the most populous part of the city. The United States Embassy, it is reported, is transmitting to the Chinese and Japanese International Committees, a proposal for a three-days’ truce, enabling a Chinese withdrawal, during which the Japanese must not attack.

JAPANESE .OBJECTIVES.

TOKIO, December 9.

The Cabinet Council decided that even if Nanking fell the campaign would be continued. The Cabinet is actively debating the policy to be followed after the fall of Nanking, which the War Minister declares. cannot be regarded as the end of the war. He says the war- must be prosecuted until Japan’s objectives are attained, namely, the destruction of the Chinese Army and the submission of the Chinese Government.

The newspaper “Asahi” states that the Imperial Council will be summoned as soon as it becomes clear what China intends to do after Nanking’s fall. If a new tractable Chinese administration appears, the council will authorise peace negotiations,, but if the Chinese resistance continues, the Council will decide that “an epoch-making time has come, and Japan must go forward as the master of the East Asian nations to establish permanent peace.”

CHINESE SUCCESSES.

NANKING, December 10.

The Chinese report successes west and south of the principal theatre of war. The mobile units have captured the important towns of Pinshien, Putai, Changwa,.and Wuti, in eastern Shantung, Yenshan,. Chinyun, and Tsangshien in Southern Hopei, and Linhu arid Nanzin in South Taihu.

A message from Hong . Kong says that the Japanese are gradually penetrating along the Kwangtfing coast in South China from various recently occupied islands. Aircraft and warships are supporting the landings. The Japanese occupied Hsiachim Island and attempted to land at Shangchun.

CITIZENS’ DETERMINATION

(Recd. Dec. 11, 8 a.m.).

SHANGHAI, December 10. A manifesto from air important group of Chinese leading citizens, representing Shanghai’s population of 3,000,000, vows to uphold China’s honour, and refuses to co-operate with Japan, or to buy Japanese goods. It emphatically repudiates any spurious organisations created by the enemy, and pledges full allegiance to the Central Government, full support to Chiang Kai Shek, abandoning all idea of compromise...

OXFORD FEELING. ‘ (

(Received December 11, 11.30 a.m.) LONDON, December 10. .

Owing to the . strong anti-Japanese feeling among students at Oxford, a course of 'Six lectures on aspects, of Japanese culture, by an Embassy official, Professor Doe, has-' been abandoned. 1 ’ '