Shanghai Awakens to Nightmare Dream.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 20 February 1932, Page 7

Shanghai Awakens to Nightmare Dream.

FOREIGN NATIONALS READY TO MAKE FOR SAFETY.

San Francisco Press Broadcast. SHANGHAI, Feb. 19

The International Settlement, scene of peace celebrations 2A hours before, was awakened shortly after midnight to-day by the roar of Chinese artillery opening fire on the Japanese .fleet in the Whangpoo river and Japanese marine headquarters in the Hong Kew district. The deafening barrage was the Chinese Army’s reply to Japan’s ultimatum demanding that the Chinese troops defending Shanghai withdraw by to-morrow might.

For three weeks the stubborn Nineteenth Army has withstood the land and air attacks of the Japanese invaders. Now the Chinese seemed determined to show even greater resistance in the face of new Japanese demands for withdrawal, and all hope of avoiding the long-threatened big battle was abandoned. The Chinese big guns which had been moved up in preparation for the Japanese offensive went into action shortly after midnight, shells crashing around the Japanese marine headquarters splashing into the waters of the Whangpoo river near the flagship of the Japanese Admiral, Kichisaburo Nomura. Fires were set blazing along Broadway, where a Chinese theatre was in flames, behind the Chapei lines of the Japanese forces, and along the waterfront near the moorings of the .Japanese warships.

' The resumption of this bitter war, that already has shown the most appalling disregard for the fundamental rights of civilians, was the nightmare dream of Shanghai this morning. American, British and other foreign nationals were ready at a moment’s notice to drop everything and head for the foreign warships in the Whangpoo river.