AIR RAIDS AND SHELLING

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23770, 25 September 1940, Page 10

AIR RAIDS AND SHELLING

CLASHES OCCUR IN BORDER AREAS I By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright (Received September 24, 8.15 p.m.) Sept.. 24 An official joint communique issued in Tokio by the Japanese Army and Navy yesterday morning stated that units of the army and nayy had started a "peaceful advance" through Indo-China. Fighting was still progressing this morning, however, says a report from Hongkong. Two Japanese aeroplanes were shot down. French women and children are being evacuated from the border areas. ** The Japanese yesterday made two daylight air raids on the strategic railway and border town of Langson, says a Hanoi despatch. They also resumed shelling. In the afternoon six Japanese aeroplanes twice concentrated their bombs on the Langson airport, and market place, and fighting took place at Langson all the afternoon. The French announced that the Indo-Chinese had abandoned Dongdang. The Japanese had been reported earlier to have attacked the three outposts of Dongdang, Binhai and Chinma. Aircraft-carrier Apparently Used The Japanese aeroplanes which bombed Langson were apparently operating from an aircraft-carrier. A hospital train from the border arrived at Hanoi carrying over 100 wounded. Red Cfross stations have been established | throughout the city in view of the emergency. The army has ' commandeered motor-cars. The French insist that the Japanese are responsible for the border fighting. They state that the Japanese forces attacked the French' after receiving formal notification of the signing of the j Hanoi agreement. A Domei news agency (Japanese) broadcast yesterday said the French fired on Japanese who were crossing the border shortly after midnight on Sunday, in spite of the fact that the French commander had been notified that the Japanese were proceeding under 'the terms of the agreement. Overcoming opposition, the Japanese occupied the heights to the south of Dongdang. The broadcast claimed that the French used gas. The Japanese Imperial headquarters i:i Tokio subsequently stated that the IndoChina A Army surrendered at 1 1 o clock yesterday morning and was disarmed by the Japanese^ Steps Planned by United States Still another report said the head of the Japanese mission. Lieutehant-General Nishihara, was delaying the carrying out of the agreement and. had postponed the landing of troops at Haiphong. ® A representative of the Domei agency with the army in South China reports that the Japanese captured 240 Indo-China troops, including several French officers, when they occupied a blockhouse near Dongdang. He states that the French losses were 131 killed'and the Japanese losses were "very slight. "* A message from "Washington says the, Secretary of State, Mr. Cordell Hull, declared that the status quo of Indo-China had been upset through duress, and he reiterated that the United States i woulcl take steps to give concrete weight to its disapproval.