TOKIO'S PLAN

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22954, 4 February 1938, Page 9

TOKIO'S PLAN

SOUTHERN CHINA PROPOSED INVASION PUPPET GOVERNMENT RESISTANCE EXPECTED RUIOUKS IN CANTON I By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received February 3, 5.5 p.m.) Times Cable LONDON. Feb. '2 The Hongkong correspondent of the Times says rumours have arisen in Canton that the Japanese are planning shortly to invade South China and that already they have nominated two politicians to establish a puppet Government. However, the Japanese air raids have heightened the spirit of the inhabitants, who, the Government expects, will stiffly resist. Kwangsi troops, including women, have arrived at Pnkhoi. Two Japanese destroyers attempted to pass Boccft Tigris, at the mouth of the Canton River, but the forts fired and the Japanese, after replying, turned back.

WORKING FOR ENEMY SURRENDERED CHINESE CAPTURE OF PENGPU (Received February 3, 5.5 p.m.) TOKIO, Feb. 2 Tho Japanese claim that 15,000 Chineso irregulars who wero infesting tlio Peking-Hankow railway in the Changten urea havo surrendered and now aro employed with tho Japanese Army transport. The Domei news agency says the Japanese captured Pengpu after heavy Chinese losses. Japan thus controls more than half tho southern section of the Tientsin-Pukow railway. The next objective is Suchow junction.

JAPANESE WARSHIPS CALIFORNIAN WATERS REFERENCE IN CONGRESS WASHINGTON. Feb. '2 One of the Democrat members of the House of Representatives for California, Mr. Byron Scott, who is also a member of the Naval Affairs Committee, told a representative of the United Press that he had received unverified information to the effect that recent naval patrols off the Californian coast were connected with an attempt to locate the whereabouts of two Japanese battleships of which the United States Fleet had lost track. Admiral Leahy informed the United Press that the naval manoeuvres were not connected with movements of any Japanese warships. They were of a routine nature and were planned long ago. "We do not know the whereabouts of units of the Japaneso Fleet," said the Admiral, "except those on the China coast. Wo know where those are because our naval units occasionally make contact with them. We have no way of knowing where other units are."

SEARCH FOR VALUABLES AIR RAIDED REGIONS JAPANESE COLLECTORS (Received February 3, 6.5 p.m.) Times Cable LONDON. Feb. 2 The Shanghai correspondent of the Times says the Japanese are combine areas ruined by aerial raids and bombardments and are collecting everything valuable, such as scrap metal, which they are shipping to Japan. The municipality estimates that 1000 factories, all private property, some of them expensively equipped and others primitive, have been destroyed.

NEW ANTI-RED PACT JAPAN'S PROPOSITION (Received February 3, 6,6 p.m.) TOKIO, Feb. 2 The Foreign Minister. Mr. Hirota, intimated in the Diet to-day that if the international situation demanded it Japan would conclude a tripartite antiCommunist Pact with Manchukuo and the new Chinese Government at Poking. The aim primarily would be to defend China against a threat from the Continent.