NO HOPE OF PEACE

Manawatu Standard, Volume LII, Issue 69, 20 February 1932, Page 7

NO HOPE OF PEACE

BIG CLASH IMMINENT WOEST IN SHANGHAI’S HISTORY CHINA’S DETERMINATION TO BESIST (United Press Association. —By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) A Received February 20, 10.5 a.m. ■ r SHANGHAI, Feb. 19. The Mayor of Shanghai, Mr Wu, to-day characterised the Japanese actions as the “brutal murder of our people,” adding that the Government was prepared to bear the full responsibility of rejecting the Japanese demands. All hopes of averting hostilities have now been blqsted, and the worst fears of foreign observers apparently have been realised. / All the fronts are comparatively quiet at present, but Shanghai expects to experience the worst fighting in its history some time to-day. Mr Wang Chai-wei, spokesman of the Nanking Government, to-day reiterated his previous statement that the National Government, while determined .to resist the Japanese invasion, would neither declare war nor sever diplomatic relations with Japan. Mr Wang intimated that the present Japanese aggressive movement in Shanghai had been planned for the purpose of distracting the world’s attention from Manchuria, where the Japanese had consolidated their positions and arranged an independent State under Japanese direction.

INTENSE BOMBARDMENT. CHINESE TAKE INITIATIVE. DEMANDS DEFINITELY REJECTED SHANGHAI, Feb. 19. Without waiting for the expiry of the Japanese ultimatum the Chinese early this morning took the initiative, in-' tensively bombarding the Japanese positions. Shells fell in the British quarter, one wrecking an upper room of the Savoy hotel. The commander of the Chinese Nineteenth Route Army, General Tsai Ting-kai- in definitely rejecting the Japanese demands, claimed that the Chinese people could not accept such a dishonourable means of averting the crisis. General Tsai said: “I am fighting for the rights of a nation whicli for too long has been trampled beneath the heels of foreign Powers. If I and my men die dofending what is the Chinese people’s heritage, we at least know that wo will have done what others- feared to attempt.” _ Chineso shells last night dropped behind Astor House in the Broadway district, smashing windows, and doing other extensive damage in the Settlement. Fortunately, the curfew prevented injuries, the streets being deserted. It is practically impossible to reach the Chinese headquarters as the roads are mined and the trenches and bridges destroyed. Thousands of Japanese, equipped with every modern warfare weapon, are marching into lines stretching from the Settlement boundaries to the mouth of the Whangpoo River near Woosung. Chinese official circles announce that an answer rejecting the ultimatum was handed to the Japanese authorities to-night. According to a statement by Lieut.General Uyeda to foreign Press correspondents, the Chinese must commence withdrawal by 7 a.m. to-mor-row, otherwise there will be an open offensive. General Uyeda assured the Press that foreign interests were in completely safe hands. He further declared that it was not the intention of the Japanese to pursue the Chinese from beyond the 20-kilometre zone, where the Japanese front line would be established.

EVE OF GREAT BATTLE. LEAGUE ACTION REQUESTED. CHINESE DELEGATE’S STATEMENT. (British Official Wireless.J Received February 20, 11.0 a.m. RUGBY, Feb. 19. A full meeting of the League Council was held at Geneva in public in response to China’s appeal under Article 15 of the Covenant. M. Boncour, presiding, said that the Council would present a draft resolution on the Shanghai question. Mr Yen, in a statement, declared that the Japanese were carrying on what amounted to war. They were oil the eve of a great battle, in which 100,000 men were awaiting the hour set by the Japanese. He asked the Council to take immediate preventive measures to avoid further bloodshed. Mr Sato, the Japanese delegate, said that the Japanese had expended their efforts to stop hostilities, and had made many proposals. Until yesterday they had hoped that an agreement could be reached. Unfortunately, that was not the case. The Japanese demand for the withdrawal of the Chinese .troops had been made for military security. The Covenant •of the League was set up to regulate affairs between organised countries and did not apply to China. Other States with interests in China had had to' intervene in the same manner as they were doing now. The Council could not impose idealistic decisions, but should try and find an efficacious and adequate way of solving the difficulty. Only if China were. reorganised could Manchuria be restored to her. Independence in Manchuria really implied autonomy, for without autonomy Manchuria would not be safe from the arbitrary measures of the Chinese Government, and would not exist in peace. Japan had no idea of annexing Manchuria. What Japan wanted was to retain her field of action in Manchuria and maintain the principle of the open door.