The Hawera Star. TUESDAY. FEBRUARY 21, 1933 EASTERN NATIONS CLASH.

Hawera Star, Volume LII, 21 February 1933, Page 4

The Hawera Star.

TUESDAY. FEBRUARY 21, 1933 EASTERN NATIONS CLASH.

Delivered every evening by 5 o’clock in Hawera, Manaia, Kaupokonui, Otakeho, Oeo, Pihama, Opunake, Normanby, Okaiawa, Eltliam, Ngaere, Mangatoki, Kaponga, Awatuna, Te Kiri, Mahoe, Lowgarth, Manutahi, Kakaramea, Alton, Hurleyville, Patea, Wbenuakura, Waverley, Mokoia, Whakamara, Ohangai, Mercmere. Eraser Koad and Ararata.

Yesterday’s news, with its grave suggestions of the possibility of war in, three theatres—Asia, Central Europe and South America —is not calculated to. strengthen hope that this generation is likely to see a world concentrating sanely on peace and prosperity to the exclusion of all thoughts of war. Today’s news reveals' that China and Jiapa.n have, in tlicir dispute, pa'ssed the stage of threatening each other in diplomatic language aind 1 are on the brink of wa'r. The official declaration of hostilities was still, early to-day, lacking, but troops have been placed in position, base organisation is being hurried ly pushed forward' by both sidcis and the stage is all set for the dramatic moment when the two nations will he at death grips. The situation has been robbed of som'e of its drama for the distant foreign observer of these events by the fact that Japan and 1 China have been snapping, snarling, and occasionally biting a.t each other for a Jong time. There lias been already much bloodshed and destruction of property over the Manchurian dispute, but until now the cause which both sides have at heart has been confined to fairly restricted limits, at least on the surface. Now, however, the sparring has come to an end; Japan as a nation means to enforce its will upon China and China is determined to resist,. Though the long drawn-out preliminaries may have robbed the declaration of war of some of its dramatic value as an item of news, the actual fact of war between these two. Eastern countries is going to, exact its tribute of tragedy from the combat ants; how much i't is going to increase the troubles of a sorely-tried world-at-large is still a matter of surmise.