PEACE EFFORTS FAIL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21113, 22 February 1932, Page 9

PEACE EFFORTS FAIL.

WARFARE UNAVOIDABLE. JAPAN'S REJECTED ULTIMATUM. SHANGHAI, Feb. 19. All hopes of averting hostilities have now been blasted and tho worst fears of foreign observers are apparently to be realised. All fronts arc comparatively quiet at present, but Shanghai expects to experience the worst lighting in its history some lime to-day. Tho Mayor of Greater Shanghai, Dr. Wu, characterised tho Japanese actions as " brutal murder of our people," adding that the Government was prepared to bear full responsibility for rejecting the Japanese demands. Mr. Wang Chai-wei, the spokesman for the Nanking Government, reiterated his previous statement that the National Government had rejected Japan's ultimatum. It was determined to resist the Japanese invasion, but would neither declare war nor sever diplomatic relations with Japan. Mr. Wang intimated that the present Japaneso aggressive' movement at Shanghai was planned for the purpose of distracting the world's attention from Manchuria, where the Japanese had consolidated their positions and arranged an independent State under Japaneso direction. This has virtually been achieved before tho League of Nations' Manchurian investigation committee arrives, thereby presenting a fait accompli.