SURRENDERS IN CHINA

Grey River Argus, 24 August 1945, Page 5

SURRENDERS IN CHINA

Who Gets Hong Kong ? CHINESE FORCES IN OCCUPATION CHUNGKING, August 22. Chinese troops are occupying Hong Kong under the surrender terms, reports an Associated Press correspondent. A Chinese army spokesman said Hong Kong was in the China theatre, and the High Command naturally assumed'the responsibility to accept the Japanese surrender there. A Foreign Office spokesman stated that Chiang Kai-Shek was considering the whole issue and was expected to announce a decision in a few days. The British authorities in Chungking declined to comment. The Chinese have chosen General Fah Wei-chang to receive the Japanese surrender at Hong Kong. The Chinese High Command has announced that Chungking troops occupied several more towns, including Taiyuan. General MacArthur forwarded to Chungking a Japanese protest against Chinese troops rushing Japanese-held areas, and also a request to MacArthur to investigate the situation. General MacArthur has’ relaxed the order grounding all Japanese planes. Japan’s formal surrender to China will be signed at Nanking. Chinese troops might be flown into Nanking, Shanghai, Pekin and Tientsin even before the formal surrender. The signing is not expected to occur until after General MacArthur’s formal signing in Tokio. ' Meanwhile the Japanese envoys conferred at Chihkiang with General Ho Ying-chin, commander of the Chinese field forces, who handed the envoys a memorandum specifying the areas the Chinese would occupy. General Fah Weichang has been appointed to take over at Hong Konw Canton, Luichow Peninsula, and Hainan Island. The Chinese - have also listed the Inner Mongolian provinces, J'ehol, C’hahar, Suiyuan and Formosa and French Indo-China, which the Associated Press points out, indirectly confirms that the British will land in southern Indo-China.

CHINA TO CONTROL INDO-CHINA. LONDON, August 22. China will undertake responsibility for the military administration of the northern zone of Indo-China and SEAC for lhe substantially larger southern zone, says the Press Association’s diplomatic correspondent. The arrangement, which follows talks between England, America, China, and France, is purely provisional, as France at the moment is not physically able to take over territory. French military experts will possibly be attached to the staffs of both administrations. The duration of the military governments depends on the task to be done in disarming and expatriating Japanese. After this the French civil administration will take charge. CHINESE OCCUPATION OF SIAM. CHUNGKING, August 22. The Chinese will occupy a small portion of Siam, according to the surrender terms proposed by Ho Ying-chin, savs the Associated Press correspondent. The Japanese delegation was ordered to give details oi all Japanese forces, and also to cease hostilities. All Japanese merchantmen must be held guarded for the Chinese. Okamura , will be held responsible for the safety of all Allied war prisoners and all civil administrations must be surrendered only to persons designated by the Chinese High Command. The Japanese delegation leader, Major-General Imai, promised .to ensure that personnel-of the United States air communications service reach Nanking, Shanghai and Pekin. The Japanese have been instructed to remove mines from the Yangtze River by September 1. Chinese quarters indicated that Henry Puyi will probably be treated leniently if he is captured. Most Chinese have always considered Yuyi a hapless, hopeless puppet without the courage to resist the Japanese. SINGAPORE’S SURRENDER LONDON, Aug. 22. It is expected that the Japanese forces in the South-east Asia Command’area will surrender to the Supreme. Allied Commander (Admiral Mountbatten) at Singapore early next month. Saigon radio said that the Japanese commander of the Southern Army (Field Marshal Count Terauchi) would reply to-day to Admiral Mountbatten’s demand for the surrender of the Japanese forces there. It added that the Japanese forces had been ordered to resist any Allied attempt to enter territory occupied by the Japanese forces “before the present armistice negotiations are completed.” Thunderbolts fired on Japanese forces near Ehwegyin and broke up an enemy encirclement movement against an Allied guerrilla force. “We cannot afford to treat the Japanese delicately, whether the war is on or off,” said an Army spokesman. Japanese envoys have not arrived for the surrender negotiations. The Burma campaign cost the Japanese 128,000 killed, states an official announcement. United Kingdom forces suffered .40 casualties between Japan’s first offer of peace on August 11 and the final offer on August 14. No figures for Commonwealth forces are available. CONTROL OF PHILIPPINES. MANILA, August 22. General MacArthur announced that his Command is discontinuing participation in the Philippines administration on September 1, because it is no longer necessary. The Associated Press says that _ all army hospitals and health services will be handed to the Philippines Government. Fully equipped and staffed schools have been re-opened for hundreds of thousands of students. The United States Army -Us expected to continue building major bases which they will hold after independence. Large numbers of personnel will remain in the Philippines, particularly servicemen for handling supplies for the occupation forces throughout Asia.