Roads Jammed With Refugees

Horowhenua Chronicle, 5 March 1932, Page 7

Roads Jammed With Refugees

STAMPEDE INTO SHANGHAI.

zheabtrending scenes.

Jieeeived Friday, 11.50 p.m. SHANGHAI, March 4. Thete was a regular stampede this morning when refugees commenced to return. Thousands of foreigners and •■Chinese, using every available conveyance, commenced to trek to Hong Kew and Dixwell road' -areas. The problem was actual-■ greater than .the evacuation, everything endeavouring to , enter the originally prohibited 1 .zones at the same time. Traffic on ©very road was jammed. Although fighting is officially cancelled there are still slight skirmishes a considerable dist--aru*e from Shanghai, The Chinese and Japanese in the vicinity of the twenty kilometre zone .are playing hide and seek along the Japanese main defence iines though the main body of Chinese concentrated at Qumsan. There were heartrending jsoenes when the advance party of Chinese refugees returned to the northern district, finding nothing except ruins where their homes once stood. Chapei is still closed under military control, but the municipal authorities are devising a system of policing .to permit the Japanese to return to their bases. Parts •of Chapei are still in flames and will probably require dynamiting to prevent the fires spreading. The Japanese Consulate .advises that fresh Japanese troops are being sent to relieve those which participated in the hostilities and also to assist in the reconstruction of the deVas- , tated regions pending a satisfactory outcome of the peace conference.

BUSINESS AS USUAL. San, Francisco Press Broadcast. SHANGHAI, Mrch 4. For the first time in 35 days Shanghai awoke this morning from a sleep ■undisturbed by the roar and rumble of •.guns. Peaceful reports that the League ■of Nations' Assembly would act to-day -to demand cessation of fighting and that the Nanking Government has followed Tokyo in ordering its forces to -cease firing brought shutters and bars -off the windows and doors of hundreds -of shops. Nanking road, Shanghai's -Fifth avenue, opened for business along its entire length. TEOUBLE IN NEW MANCHUEIAN ■ STATE. San Francisco Press Broadcast. TOKYO, March 4. Soviet Bussia has declined to recog.vnise the new regime in Manchuria in -connection with the. dismissal of Mo Tse Sui, Chinese president of the -Chinese Eastern Eailway, by the new Manchurian State executive committee. _ j committee, which recently declared Manchuria's independence from China, .-appointed Li Hso Keng, .a member of ike railways directorate, in Mo'S place. -Japanese press despatches from Harbin to-day said the Moscow Government -had .instructed the Soviet vice-president -of the railway to recognise Li's appointment with the explicit understanding that recognition of the new State ‘was not implied. GENEVA AIMING FOB PEACE. San Francisco Press Broadcast. GENEVA, March 4. The League of Nations Assembly to--day heard Chinese and Japanese versions of the reasons for the wn. in the Far East end to-morrow will be .forced -into action to consider the four dermands made by Dr. W. W. Yen, Chin•ose delegate. Authoritative sources indicated that the Assembly’s first act to-morrow will undoubtedly be to insist -on the cessation of hostilities at Shanghai, although the Japanese high command there has already ordered naval rand military operations suspended. TOKYO ANXIOUS FOB NO MOEE FIGHTING. Received Friday, 11.15 p.m. ■j TOKYO, March 4. Tokyo deplores the news ,of the reopening of hostilities after the cease -fire was ordered. The Chinese re--attacked this morning and details are awaited. It is hoped it is purely local and will not develop into , Jfurtfier fighting.