FAR EAST

Grey River Argus, 5 December 1940, Page 7

FAR EAST

SIAMESE CLAIMS French Forces Defeated [Aus. & N.Z. Cable Assn.] -NEW YORK, December 3. 'The Bangkok correspondent of the Associated Press of America says: The Thailand High Command announced that a French effort to seize the south-eastern province of Thad was beaten off. A French warship was damaged from the air. A detachment of French troops landed a few miles from the Thai frontier, and proceeded inland a short distance before being repulsed. A second landing party was repulsed with heavy casualties. On the north-eastern front, near Nagorbanom, Thai aviation carried out retaliatory raids, wrecking the French military headquarters. AUSTRALIA AND U.S.A. (Received December 4, 5.5 p.m.) WASHINGTON, December 3. The Australian Minister, Mr R. G. Casey conferred with Senator Hull (U.S. Secretary of State), on the situation in the Pacific. Mr Casey said: “We exchanged some mutually satisfactory observations ” Part of Shanghai BLOCKADED BY JAPANESE (Received December 4, 9.20 p.m.) SHANGHAI, December 3. A Japanese blockade of the Japan-ese-controlled area of Shanghai followed the murder of another Japanese gendarme at the week-end by a Chinese gunman. The blockade has entered its third day. The barricaded area now resembles a besieged city, and the spectre of famine hovers over thousands of Chinese in this marooned area, as little fresh food is allowed to enter. Meanwhile, the Japanese are conducting a house-to-house search.