SHANGHAI INCIDENT

Greymouth Evening Star, 14 October 1939, Page 8

SHANGHAI INCIDENT

JAPANESE OCCUPY BANK. 1 [BY CABLE —PRESS ASSN. —COPYRIGHT.] NEW YORK. October 13. The Shanghai correspondent oi the Associated Press of America says that 20 armed Japanese plain clothes men occupied a building owned by Chinese Government Bank of Communications, located in the British defence sector of the International Settlement. The Japanese are reported to have overpowered watchmen and attendants, removed furnishings, smashed doors and destroyed stationery. The building was used as living quarters for the staff since the banking operations were transferred to the French Concession in 1937. The occupation has created a delicate situation any attempt at ejection might broaden into another dispute between Britain and Japan. A CHINESE VICTORY. CHUNGKING. October 12. The Communist Eighth Army at Shensi repulsed an attack by 40,009 Japanese, divided into nine mechanised columns. Two thousand of the Japanese were killed. COMMUNICATIONS CUT. NEW YORK, October 13. The Hong Kong correspondent of the Associated Press of America states Chinese despatches claimed that their advance forces have cut the Japanese railways north of Yochow, threatening the loss of this strategic Middle Yangtse port, which would erase the most important Japanese gains since the capture of Hankow. The Chinese asserted that the Japanese were being pushed back northward in Hunan, Kiangsi, and Southern Hupeh. UNITED STATES APOLOGY. NEW YORK, October 13. The Tientsin correspondent of the Associated Press of America states that the Japanese military announced that United States officials have offered apologies and compensation, and a court-martial of the marine responsible' for the woundings on October 12. They therefore regard it as a “local issue.”

JAPANESE TRADE MISSION. TOKIO, October 12. A Japanese Parliamentary Mission of eight, led by Mr. Hyogoro Sakurai, a member of the Minseito Party, will arrive at Bangkok on October 29. The mission will afterwards be going to Singapore in an effort to obtain trade expansion. FOREIGN OFFICE DISPUTE. NEW YORK, October 12. The correspondent of the United Press of America at Tokio says: Japanese Foreign Office officials tendered their resignations, but they were not accepted. Efforts are being continued to induce their acceptance of a modified plan, whereby the appointment of Japan’s commercial attaches shall be retained by t the Foreign Office. The Premier, General Abe, is holding Mr Tani blameless, and is not accepting his resignation. ’rhe Associated Press of America Tokio correspondent says that a Cabinet crisis appeared to have been averted, when the spokesman for 150 of those who resigned announced the withdrawal of their resignations, the Government agreeing to respect their wishes in a “compromise” plan, the creation of a new Trade Ministry.