JAPAN’S ULTIMATUM

Grey River Argus, 19 February 1932, Page 5

JAPAN’S ULTIMATUM

POWERS’ FINAL MOVE To Obtain Chinese Capitulation (Aus. & N.Z. Cable Assn). LONDON, February 17. There have been combined efforts by the British American. French and Italian Ministers to persuade the Chinese to withdraw, in accordance with the wishes of Japan, as a preliminary step towards peace, but there is little prospect of the Chinese agreeing. Chinese Refusal TO ABANDON'SHANGHAI. SHANGHAI, February 17. Heavy Chinese reinforcements are arriving daily, lines are being strengthened, and a wide system of trench-work ; is radiating from Chapci. I — Last Hour Effort TO GET CHINESE TO WITHDRAW. (Received February 8 at 11.20 p.m.) SHANGHAN, February 18. An effort is being made to-day to i arrange a conference between Lieut.General Uyeda (Japanese Commander-in-Chief) and General Tsaitiagkai (Commander of the Chinese Nineteenth Route Army) in a final effort to persuade the Chinese forces to withdraw from Shanghai and to avoid the issuing of an ultimatum to withdraw 121 miles. Firing practically ceased last night. SETTLEMENT DOCKS. USED BY JAP TROOPS. CHINESE SHELL KILLS BRITISHERS. SHANGHAI, February 17. It is believed that the shells which fell on the waterfront and wounded two British sailors were intended for the Japanese transports lying in the vicinity of Hongkew wharf. As the result of this Chinese shelling, eight Chinese were killed and over a score injured in the dock area also. The damage withi n . the Settlement was extensive in the vicinity of Chapei and Kiangwan. Buildings were wrecked and foreign houses and a foreign factory badly damaged. Two popular cafes and a Japanese theatre were hit in the northern district. The Chinese, apparently were directing fire towards the Japanese battery located behind the Council’s Hongkew Park, but the markmanship was extremely poor. Ihc British authorities have lodged a strong protest. RL T GBY, February 17. The Admiralty has received a report from the Commander-in-Chief in China, stating that, at five o’clock this morning, local time, two naval ratings from H.M.S. Suffolk. H. H. Francis, of Chatham, and 11. G. Prior, of Portsmouth, who formed part of the guard on duty at the Hongkew wharf, Shanghai were seriously injured by Chinese shellfire. Both died later in the day. JAPAN’S REFUSAL. OF LEAGUE JURISDICTION.

GENEVA, February 17. Japan objects to the convocation of a special meeting of the Assembly, in accordance with China’s application, on the grounds of illegality, and because the application is conditional. Japan has not yet agreed to dealing with it under Article Fifteen. Mr Yen’s letter did not definitely request a special session. The President of the Council is consulting legal experts before replying . Japan’s Aims SUSPECT IN AMERICA. PERMANENT GRIP ON CHAPEI POSSIBLE. (Received February 18 at 7.25 p.m.) NEW YORK, February 17. The “New York Times’s” Washington correspondent states that the United States State Department has received reports detailing Japan’s reply to the League of Nations. In her reply Japan has contended that she would not undertake to occupy Chinese soil indefinitely if the Chinese withdrew from Shanghai. This reply, however, is construed at Washington as a direct intimation that Japan might now attempt to hold the Chapei district of Shanghai permanent, ly as a settlement area for Japanese nationals, and is causing some concern. It is also expected that the U.S.A. State Department will shortly instruct Ambassador Forbes again to protest against the landing of the Japanese troops in the International Settlement of Shanghai. FOREIGN FEARS. OF BOMBARDMENT. (Received February 18 at 11.20 p.m.) SHANGHAI, February 18. The Foreign Settlement residents are becoming daily more apprehensive, following on a severe shelling yesterday, which resulted in the deaths of two bluejackets and eight Chinese. A bomb placed in the doorway this morning of the Mitsui Bussan Kaisha office in the heart of the city exploded with terrific force, killing one Chinese outright, injuring three pedestrians, shattering the front of the building. NO HOPE FOR CHINA. A BRITISH ESTIMATE. LONDON, February 17. The “Times’s” correspondent at Shanghai says: The situation entails

tragedy to China whatever happens. The Chinese intend to withstand the invaders to the utmost. The Japanese, chagrined at their failures, are * determined to vindicate their military reputation. They should eventually be able to crash a way to their objective. because they can be reinforced indefinitely, and must finally win. The more the Chinese fight, the more the Japs can reinforce. The more it costs Japan to win, the harsher can be the ultimate terms of the settlement. BRITISH ARMS FOB. THE COMBATANTS. LONDON, February 17. In the House of Commons. Major Colville informed Mr Tom Williams that licenses had been granted recently for export of armaments to Japan. Mr P. A. Harris (National Liberal): Is it not undesirable to continue these exports which are encouraging war! v Mr Maxton (Labour): Will the Chinese have equal facilities of purchasing armaments? Major Colville: Licenses have hitherto not been withheld in either case. BRITISH GOVERNMENT VIEW. THROUGH GENEVA SPECTACLES. (Aus. & N.Z. Cable Assn.) LONDON, Febn&ry 17. In the House of Commons, Mr Geoffrey Maunder (National Liberal, Wolverhampton East) asked the Government whether it did not propose to consider inviting the Council of the League to put into force Article Sixteen of the Covenant, for the withdraw, al of Ambassadors, or the establishment' of a blockade of the Japanese seaboard. The Foreign Secretary, Sir J. Simon, replied that the Government did not propose to consider such action. Th? Government regard it most improper to judge the matter which was coming for judicial consideration before the League of Nations, of which Britain was a member. Sir J. Simon, replying to further questions, said that Britain would continue to act in the Far East m conjunction with the League and the United States. Mr Maxton: Is the League doing anything effective? Sir J. Simon: It is doing its best. JAPAN’S POLICY. AND AUSTRALIA’S FUTURE. LONDON, February 17. In the House of Commons Mr Maunder (Liberal) asked Sir J. Simon, ‘ 1 Will you bear in mind the grave danger to Australia, and other parts of the Empire, if Japanese aggression is not stopped.”

Sir J. Simon (Foreign Secretary) replied: “I have not forgotten Australia.” CANADIAN FEELING. 80 ARMY AVIATORS. VOLUNTEER TO FIGHT FOR CHINA. OTTAWA, February 17. Eighty Canadian Army fliers, who have been released as the result of Government -economy to-day, offered their services to the Chinese Consul for Shanghai. The offer has been forwarded to the Chinese Government. The Government has refused a request by British Columbia to send a special Ambassador to China. League’s Representations TO THE JAPANESE. TEXT OF THE COUNCIL APPEAL. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY. February 17. The Far Eastern situation was the subject of several questions addressed to the Foreign Secretary, in the House of Commons. Replying to Mr Lansbury, Sir John Simon said that the League Council, other than the Chinese and Japanese representatives, had addressed a note in the nature of an appeal to Japan, in the following terms: “As the President of the Council, on behalf of his colleagues pointed out on January 29th, in an appeal addressed to both parties, good relations between States can only be secured by co-operation and mutual respect, and no permanent solution can be achieved by force, whether military or merely economic. The longer the present situation continues, the wider the breach between the two peoples will become, and the more difficult the situation will be, with all the disaster that that would mean, not only to the two nations directly involved, but to the world in general. The twelve members of the Council, other than the Chinese and Japanese representatives, feel constrained to make a pressing appeal to the Government of Japan, to recognise the very special responsibility for forbearance and restraint, which falls upon it in the present con flict, in virtue of the position of Japan as a member of the League of Nations, and a permanent member of. its Council. The situation which has developed in the Far East during the, past months will be fully studied by the Commission appointed, with the consent of both parties, but since the Commission was set up there have occurred, and are still occuring, events at Shanghai which have intensified public anxiety throughout, the world, which endanger the lives and interests of the nationals of numerous countries, add to the unexampled difficulties with which the whole world is faced in the present crisis, and threaten to throw new and serious obstacles in the path of the Disarmament Conference. The twelve members of the Council are far from discounting the grievances advanced by Japan, and throughout all these months have given her the full confidence which they owed to an asso ciate of long standing, who has ever been punctilious in the fulfilment of her obligations and duties as a member of the community of nations. They cannot, but regret, however, that she

has not found it possible to make full use of the methods of peaceful settlement provided in the Covenant, and recall, once again, the solemn undertak ing of the Pact of Paris, that the solu tion of international disputes shall never be sought by other than peaceful means. They cannot but recognise that from the beginning, the conflict which is taking place on her territory, China has put her case in the hands of the League, and has agreed to accept its proposals for a peaceful settlement. The twelve members o c the Council recall the terms of Article Ten of the Covenant, by which all th« members of the League have undertaken to respect and preserve the ter ritorial integrity, and the existing political independence of all the member# of the League. It is their friendly right to direct attention to this provision, particularly as it appears to them, . to follow, that no evasion of territorial integrity and no change in the political independence of any member of the League, brought about in disregard of this Article, ought to be recognised as valid and effectual by the members of the League. Japan has an incalculable responsibility before the publicopinion of the world, to be just and restrained in her relations with China. She has already acknowledged this responsibility, in the most solemn terms • by becoming one of the signatories to the. Nine Power Treaty, whereby the contracting Powers expressly agreed to respect the independence and the territorial and administrative integrity of China. The twelve members of the [ Council appeal to the Japanese high sense of honour, to recognise the obligations of her special position, and the " confidence which the nations placed in her as a partner in the organisation for the maintenance of peace.”