JAPAN’S VIEWPOINT.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 199, 23 July 1937, Page 7

JAPAN’S VIEWPOINT.

SURVEY OF RECENT EVENTS

.A survey of the events leading up to the present dispute between Chinese and Japa.nese troops in tlie North China district is contained in a statement made by the Japanese ConsulGeneral in Sydney, Mr T. Wakamatsu. “During the evening of July 7, _at Lioukouchiao. near Peiping, the 37th Division of the Chinese 29th Route Army, without any justification, attacked a. part of the Japanese garrison which was engaged in night manoeuvres, and a clash between the _ two parties followed,” states Mr T\akamatsu. “The Japanese garrison did its best to settle the matter locally in order to prevent the trouble becoming widespread and serious. The Chinese detachment came to terms with the Japanese, and a truce was declared several times, only to be later broken. “Finally, at 8 p.m. on July 11, an agreement to cease fighting was concluded by the Japanese and. Chinese authorities at Peiping. General Chang Tsu-chung and General Chang Chiechang signed the agreement on behalf of the Chinese authorities, and promised : (1) An apology from the commander of the Chinese 29th Route Army (2) That the officer responsible would be punished. (3) The prevention of a similar occurrence. • (4) The withdrawal of the Chinese Army from Lioukouchiao and Lungwa.ngtung. (o) Suppression of anti-Japanese orgamsa“Had this agreement been kept faithfully, .as should have been done, the present incident would have been settled quite amicably and without any further trouble. “Meanwhile, the Nanking Government gave orders for the mobilisation of their air forces, and for the dispatch of large divisions of the central army to the north, some of which have already arrived at Changsintien, about 10 miles from Peiping. This encouraged the Chinese armies in Peiping to break their agreement, and gravely endangered the efforts of the Japanese Government toward an amicable local settlement. “Therefore, on July 12, Mr Hidaka, Japanese Charge d’Affaires in Nanking, called on the Chinese Foreign Minister and informed him that an amicable settlement of the affair would be best served by tlie faithful fulfilment of the agreement made at Peiping, and warned him that any interference by the Nanking Government in this regard, or the dispatching of the central army to the north, would make the situation more serious. “However, the Chinese troops in Peiping have not yet ceased their provocative activities, and sßice July the Nanking Government has mobilised a large portion of its central army, while the air forces, which have concentrated near Peiping, are making all preparations for a.n offensive. So far, there has been no sign of any sincere desire for an amicable settlement.