JAPANESE DRIVE

Greymouth Evening Star, 3 November 1939, Page 8

JAPANESE DRIVE

PREPARATIONS IN HUNAN

[BY CABLE —PRESS ASSN. —COPYRIGHT.]

CHUNGKING, November 1. Five new Japanese divisions have arrived in Hunan Province. Another drive southward along the HankowCanton railway is expected shortly. The Chinese Government alleges that the Japanese rendered 5,000,000 peasants homeless by cutting dykes in Hopei Province, to flood out guerilla forces. SHORTAGE OF MATERIAL. TOKIO, November 1. The Domei News Agency says that owing to a shortage of material, the Japanese Government has halved a plan to underwrite the building ol .>0 merchant ships. CONFISCATION OF JUNKS. (Received November 3, 11.30 a.m.) NEW YORK. November 2. The “South China. Morning Post” editorially takes to task the Japanese daily confiscation of Chinese junks in Hong Kong waters, accompanied by varying degrees of brutality, frequently exceeding U-boat ruthlessness. The Japanese Navy persists in the attacks, presumably to. expel the Chinese fishers from lucrative grounds, and make way for Japanese, or to provide loot for the sailors. . The newspaper asserts: It is ceitainly discouraging to Hong Kong residents to see trespass and attacks made under the guns of the fortress, with impunity.

DEFENCES OF HONG KONG.

NEW YORK, November 2

The “New York Times” Hong Kong correspondent says: The arrival, of 40 of the latest Whippet Vickers tanks has placed the colony almost in the last stage of complete preparedness against any Far East menace. Harbour protection has been effected since the outbreak of the European war, and 2000 equipped volunteers have supplemented the excellent garrison and anti-aircraft defence, producing a firm sense of readiness.

JAPANESE AIMS IN CHINA.

REPLY TO U.S. AMBASSADOR.

(Received November 3, 12.10 p.m.) TOKIO, November 2.

The Institute of the Pacific, membership of which comprises most prominent Japanese, in a statement ostensibly answering the American Ambassador at Tokio, Mr. Grew, says that the United States desires the kind of peace in China, “which is not only undesirable but impossible to maintain. The first prerequisite is a fair and objective understanding and a just recognition as to why hostilities on a large scale are now progressing in China . . . . The United States is attempting to perpetuate a system which ignores the desire of all people, of the' world to develop, by fairly sharing in all the fruits and opportunities offered by Mother Earth. We cannot but note the glaring ommision of the word justice in the Ambassador’s eloquent plea for p“eace.”

On October 19, at Tokio, in what was described as a surprisingly blunt address, Mr. Grew told an audience, including some Japanese notables, that American public opinion strongly resented some actions of the' Japanese forces in China. He said that the position must change before relations between Japan and America could be improved.