CHINA DEFIANT

Hawera Star, Volume LI, 20 February 1932, Page 5

CHINA DEFIANT

WILL FIGHT TO THE END REFUSAL TO WITHDRAW JAPAN PREPARES ATTACK DRIVE OF 20 KILOMETRES FURTHER SHELLS AT SHANGHAI DAMAGE IN BRITISH QUARTER. limited Pres* Association— By Electric Telegraph Copyright.) SHANGHAI, Feb. 19. The conference of the Japanese and military leaders failed to achieve peace and the Japanese last night issued an ultimatum that the Chinese must withdraw 20 kilometres from Shanghai before mid-day on Saturday. Declaring they would fight to the end, the Chinese rejected the Japanese demands at the conference that they should withdraw their troops.

Artillery fire was again exchanged during -last evening and without waiting for the expiry of the Japanese ultimatum the Chinese early this morning took the initiative, intensively bombarding Japanese positions. Shells fell in the British quarter, one wrecking the upper room of the Savoy Hotel.

Thousands of Japanese equipped with every modern weapon of wanare are marcinng into lines stretching irom the ."settlement boundaries to the mouth of the AVhangpoo River near Woos ling. Chinese official circles announce that the answer rejecting the ultimatum was banded to the Japanese authorities to-night.^ According to General Uyeda (Japan), speaking to the foreign Dress correspondents, the Chinese must commence their withdrawal before 7 a.m. to-mor-row ; otherwise the Japanese will open their offensive. General Uyeda assured the Breis s that foreign interests would be in safe hands. He announced it was not the intention of the Japanese to pursue the Chinese beyond the 20-kilometre zone, where the Japanse front line would be established. The commander of the XlXth Route Army (General Tsai Ting Kai) definitely' rejected the Japanese demands, he 'claiming the Chinese people could not accept such dishonourable means of averting the crisis. “I am fighting for the rights of the nation which have too long been trampled beneath the heels of_ foreign Powers,” General Tsai Ting Kai said. “If I and my men die defending what is the Chinese people’s heritage we at least know that we have done what others feared to attempt.” Chinese shells last night dropped behind Astor House, Broadway district, smashing the windows and doing other extensive damage in the settlement. Fortunately the curfew prevented injuries. the streets beiii£T deserted. It is practically imposible to reach tho Chinese henrquartens as the loads are mined and trenched and the bridges destroyed'.

PLAN TO DIVERT ATTENTION JAPS’ INDEPENDENT STATE. Received 10.45 a.m. to-day. SHANGHAI, Feb. 19. General Wang Chai Wei, spokesman for the Nanking Government reinterated the previous statement of the National Government that while determined to resist Japanese invasion it will neither declare war nor isevei diplomatic relations with Japan. General Wang intimated that the present Japanese aggressive movement in Shanghai was planned for the purpose of distracting the world’s attention from Manchuria where the Japanese have consolidated positions end arranged for an independent State under Japanese direction. This virtually iiail been achieved before the League of Nations’ Manchurian investigation arrives, thereby presenting it as an accomplished fact.

Ij E A GUE. CON VENT! ON. COUNCIL'S VIEW UPHELD. GENEVA. Fob IS. The jurists’ committee of the League of Nations lias uphold the Council’s thesis supporting the Chinese application for the convocation of the Assembly. AMERICA’S NAVAL PLANS. SPEEDING UP URGED.

WASHINGTON. Feb. 18. Mr. Vinson, chairman of the Naval Committee, stated in the House of Representatives to-day that the situation in the Far East was becoming more alarming. He urged that the fleet be built to treaty limits.