CHINA WAR

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22877, 4 November 1937, Page 11

CHINA WAR

I NORTHERN FRONT PASS RECAPTURED DEFENDERS' SUCCESS A COUNTER-BLOW OVADERS TAKE TOWN Telf.craph—Press Association—Copyright (Received November 3, 5.5 p.m.) < „„ ' LONDON, Nov. 3 According to reports from Nanking two crack divisions of thc Chinese Bth. Route Army reoccupied , tKe Niangtze Pass—tho eastern gat eway into 7 tho Shansi province, driving back the Japanese. \ message from Peking, however, gavs this is more than counterbalanced by the Japanese capture of ghuvang which is a threat to the . capital city of Taiyuan, 40 miles away. Taiyuan is not protected by intervening natural defences. The invaders' advance, therefore, would be expedited -in spite of the fact that 200.000 Chinese " jj ave been poured into Shansi in the last two months., - BRUSSELS CONFERENCE , ARRIVAL OF MR. EDEN r PRELIMINARY INTERVIEWS (Received November 3, 5.5 p.m.) BRUSSELS, Nov. 2 The British Foreign Secretary, Mr. Eden, arrived in Brussels to-day and went to the Mctropole Hotel, where 25 rooms have been reserved for the British delegation to the Nine-Power Treaty Conference regarding the war in the Fir East.

Mr. Eden later had luncheon with Mr. Norman Davis (America) and with Dr. Spaak, Belgian Foreign Minister, and afterwards ,had a conference with ' Dominion representatives, including Mr. W. J. Jordan (New Zealand). . As the result of the preliminary talks between statesmen it is expected that the conference, over which Dr. Spaas will preside, - will decide to renw the' invitation to Japan to be represented, but no hope of her participation is held out. AMERICAN CAUTION INITIATIVE DISCLAIMED 'WRONG IMPRESSION CORRECTED NEW YORK, Not. 2 Misunderstanding has grown not out of the direct words of Mr. Eden in his speech in the House of Commons, but the interpretation, made by the Press Association, that he had indicated that the United States had taken the initiative in convoking the Nine-Power Conference. Apparently after much transatlantic conferring the matter has been straightened out. The New York Times was compelled to throw out its Washington correspondent's despatch on the subject and to substitute another, in which it was carefully explained that "Mr. Eden, of course did not suggest that the initiative for the. convocation of the conference came from the United States.' It is no secret that President Roosevelt, at all costs, does not wish the impression to prevail in Japan that the United States is leading a movement ' against her.

RAIN AT SHANGHAI

CHINESE ADVANTAGE JAPANESE HAMPERED " t SHANGHAI, Nov. 1 Heavy rain at Shanghai is favouring the Chinese defenders, in the Soochow Creek positions. The water is rising rapidly and obstructing the attempts of the Japanese to consolidate their advance. The Chinese are raking with machineRnn fire Japanese engineers who are attempting to build a bridge across the creek strqng enough to carry tanks and other mechanised units. JAPAN'S ATTITUDE / iTHIRD PARTY INTERVENTION I EMPHATIC REFUSAL ' SHANGHAI, Nov. 2 A Japanese'military attache called on the admirals on the United States, British and French flagships to-day and protested against, tho Chinese suggestion that the western district of Shanghai should be neutralised. He emphasised 4hat tho differences between China'and Japan must be settled without tho ' intervention of third parties.

PACT AGAINST REDS ITALY MAY JOIN , LONDON. Nov. 2 In an article in I/Echo de Paris, the French writer "Pertinax," says he Understands that Italy and Japan will ®gn a pact against Communism on November 11. message Jrom Berlin says Herr von Rlbbentrop, Ambassador to Britain, is Expected to go- to Rome to sign a pact between Italy, Germany and Japan ®gainst Communism, the text of which as drafted; it is believed it will c osely follow the existing pact beJapan and Germany. According' to the Soviet journal z |estia, Russia is likely to retaliate by f using to renew the Russo-Japanese shing agreement, which will expire m! mouth, if Italy is brought into e a nti-Cominunist pact by Japan and The paper says the agreec nt is tantamount to a military alliailce against' Russia.

CHINA relief fund T , LONDON, Nov. '2 Relief p orc ' flavor of London's Chinese patch it \ the purchase and desteariioS me <hcal .supplies to China, has hed a total of £50,000.