THREAT TO NANKING

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXI, 17 November 1937, Page 7

THREAT TO NANKING

GOVERNMENT OFFICES BEING TRANSFERRED GRAVE POSITION OF CHINESE Illy Telegraph-Press Association! (Received 17th November, 1.45 p.rn.). NANKING ,16th November. Realising the gravity of the situation the Government is transferring its offices from Nanking. The Ministries of Health, Foreign Affairs, and Finance go to Hankow, the Ministry of Communications to Changsha, and the Executive Council to Chungking, which is expected to be proclaimed tiie capital. The military establishments will stay at Nanking to supervise the field operations and proi mote the fortification of the city. General Chiang Kai-shek, the Chinese | Commandcr-in-Chicf, will remain at the capital, cither to command the last stand, or to attempt to save what remains to be salvaged. Lack of transport hampers the efforts of the foreign embassies to transfer their headquarters. Thirty-eight Britons, seventy Americans, and one hundred Germans remain at Nanking. An unceasing stream of Japanese reinforcements is pouring into the Shanghai area, augmenting the troops to 250,000. Colonel Watteville, the representative of the International Red Cross, estimates the Chinese casualties on all fronts after the opening of the campaign at 800.000. The Japanese are not interfering with the importations of medical supplies. Admiral Hasegawa, following General Matsui’s example, contributed 10,000 dollars to relief work at Nantao. The Japanese captors of Taming, in South Hopei, turned back northward and scattered the Twenty-ninth Army guerillas which threatened their communications. TREMENDOUS JAPANESE ONSLAUGHT The Japanese gained the whole of the north bank of the Yellow River many miles on each side of the TientsinPukow railway. The Chinese have blown up two spans of the tour thousand-foot German-built steel bridge near Ponang River, which may again justify its cognomen “China’s Sorrow.” Defenders here are having to withstand a tremendous Japanese onslaught from the north into the central plains. The Chinese at present are holding their positions on the soutli bank, to which they were withdrawn under General Han-fu Chan. The Japanese spokesman declares they were thrown thither helterskelter. The Japanese will cross the river by pontoons and renew the assault. SHANGHAI, 16th November. The Chinese, after evacuating Quinsaw, leaving the corpses of a majorgeneral and five thousand troops in the field, withdrew in the direction of Tsingpu. Their forces near Kashan are attempting to check the Japanese advancing across the lake area eastward from Soochow, from where the invaders are ten miles distant. The Chinese report that their line is 100 miles in length, extending from Chapookashing. Soochow is actively resisting the enemy, but there is little ground for optimism, tiie Chinese being severely shaken by a succession of unexpected Japanese movements, forcing them to lal! back without using the strong positions previously prepared, thus necessitating new defensive plans and fresh troops to make them effective.

A!R RAIDS IN TSINAN

DEFENDERS ORDERED TO HOLD POSITIONS PREPARATIONS BEING MADE TO MOVE CAPITAL (Received 17th November, 10.40 a.m.) NANKING, 16th November. Heavy Japanese air raids arc reported at Tsinan. The defenders were ordered to hold their positions, but preparations arc being made to move the capital to Ningyang if Tsinan falls. CAPTURE OF CHIAOSHAN (Received 17th November, 10.40 a.m.) TOKIO. 16th November. It is staled that the .Japanese have taken Chiaoshan. five miles north-east of Sinana. LULL IN FIGHTING AT SOOCIIOW (Received 17th November. 10.40 a.m.) SHANGHAI, 16th November. A force of 150 000 more Japanese troops has arrived. The Japanese have appointed a new Mayor and chief of police in Greater Shanghai. Belli these arc Chinese with Japanese sympathies. The municipality refuses to recognise them, describing them as puppets. The fighting has lulled in Soochow. NON-INTERVENTION PLAN ACCEPTED BY RUSSIA WITHDRAWAL OF VOLUNTEERS CONFLICT IN SPAIN [Bril Lb Official Wireless] (Received 17th November, 11.45 a.m.) RUGBY. 15th November.

At to-day’s meeting of the NonIntervention Sub-Committee the Russian Ambassador (M. Maisky) announced that his Government had now I accepted in toto and without any reserj vations the plan adopted by the full committee on 4th November. This announcement will obviate the need for | examination of the question what' practical measures might be required to meet the situation arising out of the . fact that one Government refused to : accept the provisions in the plan re-j i lating to belligerent rights—examin-I ation for which a second resolution; | passed on 4th November provided, and j ! which would certainly have compli- j i catcd the committee's technical prepar- j ations for putting the plan into effect if and when it had been accepted by the two parties in Spain. The Chairman intimated to-day that no reply had yet been received from either party. The Sub-Committee received a full | report regarding the substantial degree! of progress achieved since (he last meeting in technical asnect that the. three main parts of the plan, namely, withdrawal of volunteers, grant of belligerent rights, and restoration and strengthening the observation scheme. > These technical discussions were pro-,

, feeding and the Committee was informed it was anticipated that the technical reports on each of the three subjects would be available next week. After M. Maisky’s statement the Chairman expressed the satisfaction of the Committee, and it agreed that the two sides in Spain should be informed of the change in the Soviet’s attitude. M. Maisky made it clear that in withdrawing its reservations regarding belligerent rights the Soviet Government left, along with other Governments, its interpretation of the meaning to be attached to “substantial withdrawal” in the text of the plan until the proper and suitable time arrived for its consideration. A further meeting of the Subcommittee will be held early next week unless replies from the Spanish parties are received meantime, in which the Sub-Committee might meet earlier.