CHINA & JAPAN

Hokitika Guardian, 10 August 1938, Page 6

CHINA & JAPAN

CHINESE SUCCESSES. JAP. LANDING REPULSED. (United Press Association —By Electric Telegraph—Copyright). . '- 1 (Received this day at 1.30 p.m.) - HANKOW, August 9. . Chinese are advancing on the north bank of the Yangtse, and are hammering at the gates of Hwangmei Taiha. ■„ They , recaptured a hill overlooking jtiukiang-and,. repulsed a Japanese! landing thirty miles, from Kiukiang. AIR it AID , CASUALTIES. (Received this day at 1.30" p.m.). . , . CANTON,. August '9.' There were 102 hilled and . 159 wounded in a third fierce air bombing since diawn. .

SOVIET, FRONTIER HOSTILITIES , (Received, this day at 1.30 p.m.) LONDON/ August 9. The Tokio correspondent of the “Times” says despite tin* fact that the Government is clearly making an. effort .for a peaceful frontier settlement, the Army leaders are,not hopeful of an early cessation of. hostilities. They point out that sihfce July 2 there lifts' been rto contact between tile coinipanders on the spot, any person approaching the* Soviet line being fired | on: .; . They declare the situation. now re-. ‘ senibles, a.fujl-lress war oii ft. foiii* mile front, except that, since July 31, the Japanese forces have beeh fighting ; purely defensively. j .Russian forces operating are notv believed to 'number at least a division, ! including artillery, tanks, and acroI planeS, compared with tlie Original • strength of four battalions, ! The Japanese claim to have cd seventy tanks since the Conflict began, and brought down, certainly five, ; and possibly seven Soviet aeroplanes by gunfire, SOVIET ATTACKS JAP LINES. (Received this day at 1.30 p.m.) ; . ,- , TOSIO, August 9. j ~ .Fourteen, bombers attacked Japanese lines at Gliangkufeng and Shatsao- ’ piiig thrice since ’dawn. Japanese are manning tlie trenches in both areas, ■grimily awaiting a new Russian on- ■ slaujght. , Fresh Russian troops are replacing the main body front line at Chang- | kufeng. , r . Marshal BlUecher has arrived at Novokievsk in order to personally direct operations. ( :;i " ' , 1 • A GRAVE OtlTLOok. FACING CHINA. «... (Received„this day at,,1.45..p.m.) . (LONDON, August,9. . .The greatest famine and disease in history is facing China, declared Mr .H. T. .Silcock, director of the China Institute, who lias arrived’in London from the Far East. . . . .

He said that cholera, typhoid, and typhus, will become worse in the wintertime in , those parts of China occupied by Japanese, invaders. , Millions of people are under tho threat of death and starvation from disease.

GERMAN SUPPORT. (Received this day at. 1.'45 p.m.): BERLIN, August 9. The Japanese Ambassador., said in the event of a Russian-Japanese war, Germany will afford japan moral and other forms of support. LONDON, August 9.. The “Telegraph's”' Berlin correspondent, says while not directly denying the report of assurances to Japan, “ says it is officially insisted that Germany, is not interested, because the anti-Oomintern agreement was only cultural. JAPAN 'BACKING DOWN (Received this day at 1.45 p.m.) j . TOKIO, August 9. M. Shigemitsu- is again conferring with M. Litvinoff, and is expected to announce an important concession to. Russia concerning the proposed frontier demarcation commission. EVACUATION ORDERED. (Received this day at 1.45 p.m.) August 9. Chiang Kai-Shek has ’ ordered the | evacuation of half a million civilians before August 15. The first 300,000 have moved out.

JAPANESE OPINION. LONDON, August 9. The British United Press correspondent at Paris says: Asked whether Japan could successfully oppose both China and Russia, the Japanese Ambassador, M. Sugimura, said: “We are using only six divisions of reservists on the various Chinese fronts, hut always had an advantage over the enemy, owing to our superior discipline arid material. Nevertheless, we are aware that the Russians are better trained and equipped than the ; Chinese, and for this reason, we haVe our best troops iii Manchukuo. Japan could collaborate with Manchukuo to defend her rights for at least two years,, without disturbing her economic life. .

PENALTY FOR TREASON. • SHANGHAI, August 9.Former comrades captured and shot

Miss Wang Belunei, who with a friend, a Chinese guerrilla genera), deflected to the Japanese, the general becoming pacification loader under the Japanese Government at Nanking. Wang Behnlei was originally, pirate chief and thereafter a guerrilla leader, riding a charger and carrying two revolvers, at the head of a brigand band and becoming the fnoSt striking military figure in Pootung, but with the general changed sides when the Chinese'abandoned Shanghai iii November. Former associates vowed revenge., She and the general faced a firing squad, together.