LULL AT SHANGHAI.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21116, 25 February 1932, Page 11

LULL AT SHANGHAI.

I RAIN INTERVENES. g V —■" ■ - ■* FIGHTING ON TUESDAY. f JAPANESE RETIRE. / . STUBBORN DEFENCE IIET SHELLS CAUSE HAVOC. By Telegraph—-Fre." Association—Copyright. f (Rerened February 21. 8.15 p.m.) SHANGHAI, Feb. 24. i With the exception of intermittent | machine-gun fire there was a lull on the Chapei, Kiancwan 'and Woosung fronts at 5 a.m. to-dav. Each fide is watch- ■ fully waiting and neither is thought likely to take the offensive until the weather | improves, as the ground is sodden after ! Etl all-night downpour of rain. There was heavy fighting at Kiangwan yesterday morning. The Japanese ad--1 vanced their lines a short distance, but 1 they met with stubborn defence by the 1 Chinese. The' Japanese eventually reI '""fired to await, an artillery bombardment | to destroy the elaborate trench system | of the Chinese before making further in--3 fantrv attacks. \ Chapei was quiet yesterday. Enormous i damage was. done by the Chinese bom- ] tardment on Monday. Scarcely a house j in Dixwell Eoad and the North Szechueu | area escaped, whole terraces being de- ! Etroved. The havoc ..was only exceeded by' the ruins at Chapei, just across the boundary. INTERNATIONAL AREA. SHELLING BY CHINESE. RESPONSIBILITY DECLINED. / ~ : (Received February 24. 11.23 p.m.) SHANGHAI. Feb. 24. The Chinese have replied to a joint foreign protest., regarding the shelling of tbe International Settlement. ■ They say they cannot accent responsibility since the settlement is being used by .the Japanese #5 a military baso. j PALL OF KIANGWAN. JAPANESE ADVANCING. RAILWAY LINE CROSSED. (Received February 2,>, 1.5 a.m.) ' SHANGHAI, Feb. 24. The Japanese have captured Kiangwan afid crossed tbe railway line. They are now advancing. MEDIATION PROSPECT. , NEWSPAPER'S SUGGESTION. 1 DEMILITARISED ZONE PLAN. I —' — Jl-.- (Received February 11.25 p.m.) , LONDON, Feb. 24. f The Daily Telegraph says opinion in ; diplomatic circles in London is that an i opportunity will arise for a renewal of the attempts to mediate between Chiria and | Japan when the Japaneso have pushed I back the Chinese 12 to 20 miles from Shanghai. The Powers then may seek to persuade China to accept a demilitarised lone under their collective guarantee. Japan has pledged herself to accept iome such solution. ENCOUNTER IN AIR. AMERICAN PILOT SHOT. FIGHT WITH JAPANESE. SHANGHAI, Feb. 23. Commander Shen, chief of the Chinese aviation forces at Shanghai, reported today that Robert Short, an American airman employed- by an American aircraft firm, was shot down by Japanese airmen while he wa3 flying over Soochow. The Japanese spokesman admitted that h Japanese pilot attacked an aeroplane over Soochow and engaged in a machinegun duel which ended in disaster to the • machine he described as a Chinese aeroplane. He refused to admit knowledge that it contained an American airman. It is believed that Short, who had been entrusted with the task of delivering a fighting aeroplane to the Nanking Government, stopped at Soochow and offered his services to the Chinese. He then attacked three Japanese aeroplanes with disastrous results. JAPAN AND AUSTRALIA. STATEMENT AT GENEVA. REFERENCE IN COMMONS. LONDON, Feb. 23. Mr. J. H. Thomas, Dominions Secretary, replying to Mr. G. Mander (Liberal '■—• East Wolverhampton), said no representations had been received from Australia in reference to Japan's action in the Far East. The Commonwealth had been kept in close touch with the situation. There was no reason to doubt that the British policy commanded Australia's general assent. Mr. Mander: Has the attention of the Minister been called to an attack on Australia's migration policy made by the Japanese delegate to the last meeting of the League of Nations ? Mr. Thomas: I saw an account, but 1 ■ Was much more influenced by a personal discussion with representatives of Australia than with a general discussion by ari outside authority. Mr. Mander apparently was referring to the Japanese allusion at a meeting of the Council of the League to the exclusion ol Japanese by different countries of the world, including those in the Pacific. JAPANESE ARMY. STRENGTH AT SHANGHAI. DECISION TO DOUBLE. TOKIO. Feb. 23. Japan has decid?d to double the V strength of her army at Shanghai.