Chinese Decide To Take Offensive On All Fronts

Northern Advocate, 11 January 1938, Page 5

Chinese Decide To Take Offensive On All Fronts

[“The Times” Cable.] (Received 10 a.m.)

LONDON, January 10. THE SHANGHAI CORRESPONDENT OF “THE TIMES” SAYS THE * CHINESE MILITARY AUTHORITIES, AT A CONFERENCE AT HANKOW, ARE REPORTED TO HAVE DECIDED TO TAKE THE OFFENSIVE ON ALL FRONTS.

II is felt that the Japanese are so spread over the country that their communications have become highly vulnerable, and their powers to reinforce points of attack are much, reduced.

The Hongkong correspondent of the “Daily Mail" says Japanese? destroyers bombarded the forts of Pinchai. on the coast of Fukien. Twice they launched boatloads of marines, whom the Chinese defenders drove back to their ships.

Twelve Japanese aeroplanes raided Nanning, capital of the Kwangsi Province, South China. Bombs fell on the French Catholic Mission, killing Father Martin, and wounding Father Cuenot.

Tsingtao Taken. The Japanese have occupied the treaty port of Tsingtao.

A Tokio report says that, according to the Domei News Agency, a naval party opened the attack at dawn, and completed the landing without resistance and without casualties. ,

An earlier message from Tsingtao stated that five Japanese destroyers steamed into the bay, supplementing the fleet already there, while seven aeroplanes flew over the city, dropping handbills urging the inhabitants to submit to the Japanese occupation peacefully.

The handbills emphasised that the rights and interests of neutrals would be respected. The British cruiser Dorsetshire and the patrol ship Grimsby and the United States cruiser Marblehead are at Tsingtao.

Germans’ Plea.

When Japanese marines landed on the, beach 18 miles from the city, a German delegation, headed by the local Nazi leader, Herr Ohlwein, carrying a German flag, motored out and urged peaceful occupation. Meantime, a white flag was run up on Signal Hill, where the German flag was displayed on November 14, 1897, when the German squadron seized Tsingtao in retaliation for the murder of two German missionaries.

Japanese naval patrols searched the city for snipers, but occupation was bloodless, as Chinese troops and mai> ines had been withdrawn a fortnight ago.