RECENT BLOODSHED.

Manawatu Herald, Volume LII, Issue 4685, 21 November 1931, Page 2

RECENT BLOODSHED.

\ ♦- ORIGIN OF THE FIGHTING

CASE EOT? JAPAN STATED

A . copy of the reply of the Japanese Government to the Note received «>ll November i from the Council of the League of Nations, urging it to take no steps which would aggravate tlu* situation in Alum-burin, has been received by Ah' A. B. -'Robertson, ‘Consul for Japan at Auckland. The reply stated: — ‘‘The latest clash between--the Japanese and Chinese soldiers is attributable to the fact that the Chinese troops of. the Heilungkiang Province, which were stationed on the northern side of the Nonni River, opmied fire, in contravention of an existing understanding, on a small number of Japanese soldiers who had been despatched to .‘protect the repair gang engaged in repairing the Nonni River bridge on the Taonan-Angangchi railway line.

“This railway was constructed by the South Manchuria-Railway Company under contract to the Chinese authorities, and was handed over to the latter in 1t»27. Tn spite of repeated requests for payment, however, the Chinese authorities have not yet refunded the cost and have also refused to convert the debt into a loan. The railway, therefore, may as well he regarded as the properly of the South Manchuria Railway Company. Besides, lhat forms a feeder line to the fine owned hv the latter.

“Following I lie destruction of.the Nonni River bridge by the HeilnngKiang army in the middle of October, the Taonan-Angangchi Railway Board, with the consent of the Heilungkiang authorities, despatched a repair gang to the spot. It was, however, fired upon by the Heilungkiang army stationed on .the north side of tho Nonni River, and was forced to return without, having accomplished its object. It is to he noted here that the season has set in for the shipment of local products, and the delay in repairing the bridge consequently means a substantial decrease in the revenue of the South Alaneliuria railway. JAPANESE SOLDIER'S SHELLED “Tn order to protect the interests of the last-named railway the Japanese Consul at Tsitsihnr has been negotiating with the Heilungkiang authorities in regard to the question, hut the latter have persisted in an attitude of prevarication and procrastination. In view, however, of the imminence of the freezing season of the Nonni River, which will make the repair work impossible, the Taonan-Angangchi Railway Board had to decide on proceeding with the repairs without delay. and applied to the Japanese military authorities for protection.

"The Japanese military authorities deemed it necessary, in order to eliminate the possibility ot any untoward incident, to request the Chinese army to retire from the Noimi River to a distance of 1.0 kilometres, and on November 2 made a formal request to that effect, through the offices of the Japanese Consul at Tsitsishar, to the Heilungkiang authorities, and obtained their consent. The order of the Heilungkiang authorities, however, was not observed by their soldiers. They not only refused to retire from the Noimi River, but, on arrival of the Japanese soldiers at the bridge on November 4, opened shell-lire on them without warning, causing .15 fatal"casualties among the Japanese. The Japanese soldiers had to retreat for the time being, but, on November 0, with the assistance of reinforcements, succeeded in driving back the Heilungkiang armv outside the river zone. REST DONE TO AVOID CLASH. “The foregoing description of the incident will make it clear that the despatch of Japanese soldiers to tin l Nonni River district was exclusively for the purpose of protecting tin 1 repair gang belonging to the Tflona it-Angangehi Railway Board, and the military activity was solely for the purpose of resisting the treacherous attack by the Chinese soldiers. On November (i the Japanese military authorities in Tokio instructed the commander ot; the contingent to refrain from any further military engagements unless necessitated by an urgent contingency. ■•lt is evident from the explanation given above that the Japanese soldiers did their best to avoid any possible clash, and there is at present no possibility of the situation becoming aggravated, unless pro - voked by an offensive from the Chinese Army.”