Shanghai Again Torn With Heavy Fighting

Manawatu Times, Volume LV, Issue 6788, 20 February 1932, Page 5

Shanghai Again Torn With Heavy Fighting

K Chinese Take the Initiative in Hostilities

Japanese Demands Rejected

\ United Press Assn.—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright. Received Friday, 11.30 p.m. SHANGHAI, Feb. 19. Without- waiting for the expiry of the Japanese ultimatum the Chinese early this morning took the initiative, intensively bombarding the Japanese positions. Shells fell in the British quarter, one wrecking an upper room of the Savoy hotel. The commander of the Nineteenth Route Army definitely rejected the Japanese demands, claiming that the Chinese people could not accept such a dishonourable means of averting a crisis. General Tsai said: “I am fighting for the rights of a nation which has too long been trampled beneath the heels of foreign Powers. If I and my men die defending what is the Chinese people’s heritage, we at least will know that we have done what others have feared to attempt.” Chinese 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 are deserted and it is practically impossible to reach the Chinese headquarters as the roads are mined and the bridges destroyed.

Thousands of Japanese Pouring Into the Lines

READY FOR OPEN OFFENSIVE. Received Saturday, 2 a.m. SHANGHAI, Feb. 19. 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 AVoosung. 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-morrow; otherwise there will be an open offensive. General Uyeda assured the press that the foreign interests were in completely safe hands. He further declared 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.

Shanghai Awakens to a Nightmare Dream

FOREIGN NATIONALS READY TO MAKE FOR SAFETY. Man Francisco Press Broadcast. SHANGHAI, Feb. 19. The International Settlement, scene of peace celebrations 24 hours before, was awakened shortly after midnight to-day by the roar of Chinese artillery opening tire on the Japanese fleet in the Whangpoo river and Japanese marine headquarters in the Hong Kew district. The deafening barrage was the Chinese Army’s reply to Japan’s ultimatum demanding that the Chinese troops defending Shanghai withdraw by to-morrow night. For three weeks the stubborn Nineteenth Army has withstood the land and air attacks of the Japanese invaders. Now the Chinese seemed determined to show even greater resistance in the face of new Japanese demands for withdrawal, and all hope of avoiding the long-threatened big- battle was abandoned. The Chinese big guns which had been moved up in preparation for the Japanese offensive went into action shortly after midnight, shells crashing arou.AL the Japanese marine headquarters splashing into the waters*!' the Whangpoo river near the flagship of the Japanese Admiral, Kichisaburo Nomura. Fires were set blazing along Broadway, where a Chinese theatre was in flames, behind the Chapei lines of the Japanese forces, and along the waterfront near the moorings of the Japanese warships. The resumption of this bitter war, that already has shown the most appalling disregard for the fundamental rights of civilians, was the nightmare dream of Shanghai this morning. American, British and other foreign nationals were ready at a moment’s notice to drop everything and head for the foreign warships in the Whangpoo river.