MOVE BY JAPAN

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 12 June 1939, Page 7

MOVE BY JAPAN

CONCESSIONS TO BE BLOCKADED RELATIONS WITH BRITAIN BECOMING WORSE BRITAINS PREPARING TO EVACUATE l U.P.A. —By L’lectriu Telegraph-Copyrightl LONDON, 10th June. The Japanese, it is reported, will blockade the British concession in Tientsin on 14th June unless the murderers of Cheg Shi-ka.ng, branch manager of the Federal Reserve Bank, who is alleged to have been killed in the British concession on 9th April, are surrendered. Chinese merchants are moving their goods out of the British and French concessions. The reason for this, says the Domei News Agency, is that the Japanese intend to “cut off the British concession from the outside world.” Relations between the British and Japanese are steadily becoming worse. The Japanese have advised their nationals to leave the concession. The Tientsin branch of the Yokohama Specie Bank is breaking off relations with foreign banks on Monday. The Foreign Office in London is watching the position very closely. The Japanese announce that the French concession in Tientsin must also •be isolated, otherwise it will be impossible to blockade the adjourning British area. As a result of this first definite indication that Japan is serious, many Britons are preparing to evacuate the concession, fearing they will be trapped by the blockade. A Russian emigrants’ organisation, claiming it was Russian p\perty, occupied the former Soviet Con-sulate-General in the Japanese-con-trolled area and tore down the Japanese flag. The Japanese-sponsored Chinese municipality in Tientsin has ordered those of its employees who are living in the English and French concessions to evacuate immediately.

BANKS TRANSFERRED TOKIO, 11th June. The custom house, also branches of the Yokohama Specie Bank and the Federal Reserve Bank were transferred from the British to the Japanese concession at Tientsin in accordance with the Japanese policy of isolating the French and British concessions. Many Japanese business houses from the French and British concessions are following this example.