PORT SEIZED

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22966, 18 February 1938, Page 9

PORT SEIZED

JAPANESE CLAIM WEI-HAI-WEI FALLS SUCCESSFUL THRUST A CHINESE SUCCESS TSINING RECAPTURED By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received February 17, 5.5 p.m.) Times Cable LONDON, Feb. 16 The Peking correspondent of the Times says the Japanese claim to have captured the port of "VVei-hai wei, North China. They captured Changyuan yesterday and advanced from there to a point 12 miles north of Kaifeng. Another column is advancing on Linhsien. The Chinese claim that two of their regiments have re-entered Tsining, which was captured by the Japanese on January 12. Wei-hai-wci, a former British naval base and coaling station, is situated on the east coast of the Province of Shantung. It was leased to Britain in 1898 "for so long a period as Portli Arthur shall remain in the occupation of Russia." Since 1895 it had been held by Japan pending the payment of the indemnity which had been imposed on China after defeating her in war. At the Washington conference in 1922, it was announced that Britain was willing to surrender the lease. Negotiations ensued and a provisional agreement was reached in 1923. The following year, however, the Peking Government was overthrown and the agreement had to be postponed. The territory was eventually handed back to China on October 1, 1930. During the British occupation, Wei-hai-wei was developed considerably. The region contains a few metals, but not of workable value, WOMEN ATTACKED WORKERS IN MISSION BOATS FIRED UPON JAPANESE AIR RAID . r 1 ■ — (Received February 17, 5.5 p.m.) HANKOW, Feb. 16 Several Australian and American women belonging to an independent gospel boat mission narrowly escaped when Japanese airmen bombed and machine-gunned their boats on the Yellow River at Kaifeng. The women were operating in the Lunghai railway fighting zone. They had a terrifying experience. Miss Helen Bailey, an American, received fire slight wounds. ALLEGED ASSAULT AMERICAN'S COMPLAINT JAPANESE OFFICER'S ACT (Received February 17, 5.5 p.m.) SHANGHAI. Feb. 16 A former American naval man, Mr. James Walsh, now in business in China, has complained to the American Consulate that a Japanese naval officer forced him to sweep the floor of a patrol station at Honkew. Then, after stamping on the charred remains of an American flag, the Japanese, he says, belaboured him with a rubber hose. ITALIANS OUSTED COMPENSATION CLAIM (Received February 17, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, Feb. 16 The Hongkong correspondent of the Daily Mail says Italy is claiming £250,000 as compensation from China for Italian nationals being ousted from a Nanchang factory and other enterprises. FIGHTING SERVICES JAPAN'S HUGE BUDGET (Received February 18, 12.10 a.m.) TOIvIO, Feb. 17 The Finance Ministry has fixed the supplementary Army and Navy Budget at £282,000,000 according to the Asaki Shimbun.