BOOM OF GUNS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 8, 7 December 1937, Page 9

BOOM OF GUNS

HEARD AT NANKING. FALL OF CITY NEAR, JAPANESE BOAST (United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph-—Copyright.) Received December 7, 8.5 a.in. SHANGHAI, Dec. 6. While messages from Nanking state that the boom of artillery is now clearly heard from the city, the Japanese military leaders boast that the city will fall in five days, or by December 15 at the latest. The Chinese are reported to be retreating from Wuliu, mercilessly pursued by aeroplanes. JAPANESE PROGRESS! NEARER TO NANKING. TROOPS FIFTY MILES AWAY. SHANGHAI, Dec. 5. The Japanese advance on Nanking has reached a point ten miles from Chinkiang, which is 40 miles from the city. Nine aeroplanes heavily bombed the military airfield and the railway approaches to Nanking, the Ming Palace and the aerodrome within the city walls being destroyed. A petrol store and six houses were'blown up.

Japanese infantry are closing in on Kuyung, 22 miles south-east of the capital,, which American nationals have been ordered to be ready to leave at any moment. The city is under martial law.

The weather is freezing and food and clothing are short. Three hundred armed police are patrolling the safety zone, which the Chinese are demilitarising.

An International Committee is endeavouring to arrange a safety zone at Wuhu, which has a poulation of 170,000. A mass meeting of Japanese, incensed by the English lawyer E. T. Maitland destroying the Japanese flag during the victory parade, resolved to assume a determined stand and take all measures to arrange consideration of the incident by the British Government and people, and impress on them the outrageous and uncondonable nature of the affair. The British United Press understands that the Japanese authorities have complied with a request to demand adequate action from the British authorities. Su Hsi-wen, a citizen of Fukien, who was educated in J«pan, has issued a manifesto proclaiming himself mayor of an “autonomous” Greater Shanghai embracing an area of 193 square miles formerly administered by the Chinese mayor, Yui, who has gone to Hangkow. The manifesto thanks the Japanese army for rescuing Shanghai, and promises full co-operation. Defying fierce gunfire, the crew of a Japanese destroyer crossed the Kiangyin boom across the Yangtsekiang, and boarded and captured , as a prize the Chinese cruiser Ning Hai, which was aground near Paweikang. AEROPLANES DESTROYED. LONDON, Dee. G. A Shanghai message says the Japanese naval airmen destroyed four large and 10 small Russian-made aeroplanes at Lanchow. CHINESE LIBERTY BONDS. HONG KONG, Dec. 5. Five hundred million dollars’ worth of Chinese liberty bonds have been fully subscribed. EMBASSY OFFICIALS. (British Official Wireless.) Received December 7, 9.35 a.m. RUGBY, Dec. 6. Membei's of the British Embassy staff at Hankow have sailed from Hong Kong for Shanghai. CITY OF MELANCHOLY. EXODUS IN THE RAIN. MILITARY ACTIVITY. NANKING, Nov. 23. Nanking, a proud city of wide streets and noble buildings, is a city of melancholy to-day. With rain falling incessantly and in intense cold, its civilian inhabitants, menaced by the Japanese advance, are continuing the flight from their homes, past the yawning mouths of air raid dugouts. The only sign of cheer to-day was a vanload of singing sailore off a British gunboat. Although the weather makes the evacuation more depressing, it is responsible also for it being effected with such despatch. Fine conditions would bring air raids, thus hindering the exodus. . Soon Nanking’s normal population of 1,000,000, including Government executives, servants, commercial representatives doing-business with the Government, inhabitants) of the , old city, and members of foreign legations, will have departed. . . , The provincial centre of China is becoming a military stronghold. Vans of troops and supplies and horse-drawn supplv trains are arriving dailv. Soldiers frqm the Szechuen province, wearing blue uniforms and sandals and wide bamboo hats, are prominent. Some carry oiled paper umbrellas instead of overcoats, and n umbers _ of them lead ponies jingling with bells.