BITTER FIGHTING

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXI, 13 September 1937, Page 5

BITTER FIGHTING

JAPANESE OFFENSIVE HELD UP

FORCES STILL SEPARATED CHINESE IN BETWEEN [United Press Association-li.v Electric Telegraph-Copy rightl LONDON, 10th September. The second offensive at Shanghai and the much heralded big push by the Japanese in the south seems more and more to be resolving itself into stalemate, though there is no doubt of the inveteracy of Japan's intentions completely to subjugate China if it is humanly and militarily possible. The invaders are still struggling to effect a junction between the forces at Shanghai and Woosung. Despite a week’s continuous infantry attacks, supported by artillery fire, a mile and a half of the west bank of the Whangpoo separates the two principal Japanese forces owing to the unforeseen staying power of the Chinese who, though bombed from the air and bombarded from the river, still remain sandwiched with deadly effect between the Japanese detachments which it was hoped would surround and overwhelm them. Until the Shanghai-Woosung junction is effected the Japanese cannot develop a mass attack. CHINESE GALLANTRY PRAISED The Chinese have lost heavily in the fighting in the civic centre, but their gallantry is the subject of praise even from the ranks of Tuscany in the shape of Japanese general headquarters. Five thousand Chinese wounded are accommodated in hospitals and cabarets in the International Settlement. The beds are arranged on the dance floors of the cabarets, medicine bottles ousting wine bottles from the bars, officials replacing the orchestra players, and the sing-song girls joining women students as nurses. The patients exemplify the traditional Chinese stoicism, and are silently bearing the agony of bomb wounds and shell wounds. Fruitless Japanese attacks have almost equalised the casualty lists. The warfare is relentless on both sides, the wounded being slaughtered. The Japanese are alleged to be shooting Chinese Red Cross workers. An eerie feature of the conflict is the nocturnal evacuation of Chinese wounded in secrecy. These movements are necessitated by the Japanese bombing of Red Cross lorries. A skeleton line of trucks without headlights moves to safety, Boy Scouts acting as drivers and escorts. Tiie Chinese fiercely attacked Japanese bluejackets. Shanghai was rocked by terrific artillery fire. GUERILLABANDS IN REAR OF JAPANESE FORCES lUnitcd Press Association -Hv Electric Tfileeraph—Copy rich tl TOKIO, 10th September. The general offensive against Chinese positions at Machang was resumed at dawn, accompanied by air bombing of Tsinghsicn and heavy gunfire upon Liuho, which is claimed to have been reduced to ruins.

Apart from the fact that the Eighth Route Army has not yet been encountered in force, the defeated Chinese habitually become bandits, for which reason a Japanese victory may leave the rear seething with guerilla bands, which will be a tedious task to exterminate. The Japanese claim they captured Machang and that the Chinese are .retreating southwards in confusion.

TANKS USED JAPANESE CAPTURE YANCHING (Received 13th September, 9.0 a.m.) SHANGHAI, 12th September. The Japanese, using tanks, captured Yanching, in the Woosung sector, which they are now entrenching. The Chinese are preparing for a counter-attack. OUTBREAK OF CHOLERA JAPANESE TROOPS AT PAOSHAN THREE HUNDRED CASES (Received 13th September, 9.0 a.m.) SHANGHAI, 12th September. The Japanese announce 300 cholera cases among Japanese troops at Paoshan. APPEAL TO LEAGUE IMMEDIATE ACTION URGED “JAPAN’S INTOLERABLE AGGRESSION” (Received 13th September, 9.35 a.m.) GENEVA, 12th September. The Chinese delegation to-night appealed to the League to take immediate action to stop what the delegation described as Japan’s intolerable aggression in China. The delegation says that the Far Eastern crisis has developed into a world crisis. Japanese aggression is threatening not only China’s independence and territorial integrity, but is menacing the general peace of the world.

The delegation adds: “We hope that the United States will associate themselves with the League’s action in the future as in the past. CHINA BEWILDERED SILENCE OF WESTERN NATIONS BROADCAST BY MADAME CHIANG KAI-SHEK (Received 13th September, 12.35 p.m.) NANKING, 12th September. Madame Chieng Kai-shek broadcasting expressed bewilderment at the silence of western nations and adds: “If the western world deliberately abandons treaties the Chinese, who lor many years were stigmatised as cowards, will fight until they win or are beaten to their broken knees, even if their good earth is steeped in blood, drenched with fire, and destroyed. All treaties outlawing war and regulating its conduct seem to have crumbled. We have reversion to savagery. Japanese militarists are determined to wreck all foreign influences in China. They must regard the Occidental reception of the situation as delightfully encouraging, deducing from it that they at last have been able to make a clean sweep of western prestige. Massacres arc bound to extend,

because the Japanese have prepared aerodromes at Shanghai. We depend on the wisdom and justice of nations 1o save the world and China from the consequence of daily Japanese falsehoods."

U.S.A.’S GRAVE VIEW INTERNATIONAL SITUATION HYDE PARK (New York), 12th September. The gravity with which the United States views the international situation is indicated by a remark of President Roosevelt’s at an informal gathering: "The Government is going to do everything possible to keep the United States out of war,” he said. At a Press conference earlier, President Roosevelt declared that democratic nations throughout the world are "jittery” over the foreign situation, both in the Far East and in Europe. U.S.A. SHIPS WARNED JAPANESE BLOCKADE WASHINGTON. 10th September. The Navy Department has warned American merchanlren that it is dangerous to operate in the Japanese blockade zone off the China coast, and has advocated the printing of the national colours on the top decks conspicuously. The Secretary of State, Mr Cordell Hull, declined to discuss the Japanese Note in which Japan says she will not assume responsibility for damage in Shaighai, but it is believed the United States will be deterred in pressing demands for indemnification. RAILWAY RE-OPENED (Received 13th September, 12.35 p.m.) PEKIN, 12th September. The Japanese re-opened the NankowKalgan railway and repaired the tunnel which retreating Chinese damaged. British missionaires were advised to evacuate Shanai province owing to the Japanese invasion. The Chinese have withdrawn from Machang.

ATTACK ON BRITISH AMBASSADOR NO CHINESE PLANES FLYING AT THE TIME (Received 13th September. 9.35 a.m.) SHANGHAI, 12th September. The Chinese Air Force notified the British authorities that no Chinese planes were flying at the time Sir Hughe Knatchbull-Hugessen, British Ambassador at Nanking, was attacked.

RAW COTTON AND WOOL MONOPOLY OF JAPANESE IMPORTS (Received 13th September, 9 a.m.) TOKIO, 11th September. The Ministry of Commerce is contemplating organising a monopoly of Japanese imports of raw cotton and wool. TRADE AGREEMENT WITH AUSTRALIA REVISION MAY BE CONSIDERED (Received 13th September, 10.55 a.m.) MELBOURNE, This Day. A revision of the trade agreement be tween Australia and Japan, with a possible reduction of the amount of Jape nese imports into Australia, will probably be considered by the Federal Ministry this week in view of Japan’s failure to enter the wool market thus far this season. To honour the agreement Japan must buy from Australia 500.000 bales before the end of June next year.

GHASTLY EFFECTS OF BOMBING

MANY WOMEN AND CHILDREN KILLED [B.v Telegraph —Press Association! WELLINGTON, 11th September. The fololwing telegram was received by the Chinese Consul from Nanking last night:— “The number of civilian casualties far beyond the fighting front has increased considerably as a result of the Japanese bombing of Sunkiang, 25 miles from Shanghai, at noon yesterday. Raining bombs on the Sunkiagn station, the raiders wrecked five passenger coaches full of refugees from Shanghai. The station office, watertower, the overhead bridge, and a section of the track were also destroyed. Over 300, mostly women and children were killed outright and 400 were injured, of whom 50 succumbed during the afternoon. Littered with mutilated bodies and blood-soaked debris, the station presented a ghastly scene. Late yesterday afternoon the emergency corps was still occupied with the task of attending the wounded and extricating the bodies from the debris.

‘Two Japanese planes were brought down in the vicinity of Swatow yesterday, and another was damaged by Chinese anti-aircraft guns.”