Japanese Protest to Moscow

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 81, 6 April 1938, Page 5

Japanese Protest to Moscow

Warned That Aid To Chinese Must Stop

SOVIET’S DEFIANT ATTITUDE United Press Association —By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.

Received Tuesday. 7.5 p.m. LONDON, April 5.

The Daily Telegraph’s Moscow correspondent says that the Japanese Ambassador, Mr. Shigemitsu, protested to M. Litvinoff against the military assistance which, he asserted, the Soviet was rendering to China.

He warned M. Litvinoff that Moscow must "assume full responsibility for the consequences" if the aid continues. M. Litvinoff replied that the Soviet attitude of selling arms and planes to China was completely in accordance with international lay.. Arms were supplied to both China and Japan by many countries. He added that, although many foreigners were serving with the Chinese armies, the Japanese Government had not protested to any other Government, as it realised it had no legal ground for doing so. JAPANESE FORCES’ SOUTHWARD ADVANCE TOKIO, April 4. Japanese forces have entered Kiangsu Province from Shantung. JAPANESE CLAIM ADVANCE . ONDON,' April 4. The Daily Telegraph’s Shanghai correspondent says that, after 16 days’ fierce fighting in which Taierh and Hanchwang, now smouldering shells filled with the charred bodies of those killed in street fighting, have changed hands four times, the Japanese again claim that they have ejected the Chinese from both towns, breaking the Chinese defence of the Grand CanalThe Chinese further suffered in the retreat, the defenders of the south bank machine-gunning them in the belief that they were Japanese.

The Japanese have now resumed the advance towards Hsuchow, junction of the Tientsin-Pukow and Lunghai railways.

A Hankow message states that the Chinese do not admit the Japanese claims, adding that they still hold portions of the towns. They also assert that they are advancing satisfactorily south-west of Shanghai towards the Shanghai-Hangchow railway. A Hongkong message saj's it is stated that the Japanese casualties during the -week-end at Taierhchwang were 15,000 and the Chinese 9000.