TOWARD CHANGSHA

New Zealand Herald, Volume 80, Issue 24761, 8 December 1943, Page 3

TOWARD CHANGSHA

JAPANESE REINFORCED BATTLE RAGES ON HIGHWAY (Reed. 5.35 p.m.) CHUNGKING, Dec. 6 Reinforced Japanese troops have driven to the south across the Yuan River toward Changsha, says an official Chinese announcement. Fighting is raging near Tehsan, on the highway from Changte to Changsha. Chinese troops, supported by American bombers and fighters, have encircled and partly wiped out large Japanese forces north-west of Changte, states a communique. The Chinese also trapped Japanese columns south of Changte. Artillery shelled ferries laden with Japanese soldiers who we're atr tempting to cross the Yuan River south of Changte. Many were killed. American patrol planes drove off enemy planes which arrived in support of the Japanese land forces. The Chinese made gains in Hupeh Province, across the Yangtse River. Three hundred Japanese, including the commander, were killed near Kingmen, 60 miles north-east of the river port of Ichang. Much material was captured. POSTPONED TRIALS FORMER HEADS IN HAWAII (Reed. 9.5 p.m.) WASHINGTON, Dec. 7 The House of Representatives unanimously passed a resolution extending for a year after the ratification _of peace with Japan all statutes affecting the prosecution of military and civilian personnel for alleged dereliction of duty at Pearl Harbour. Mr. Dewey Short said that the resolution not only provided that Admiral H. E. Kimmel and Lieutenant-Gen-era] Walter Short could be legally brought to trial after the war, but also any other person involved in , dereliction of duty contributing to the success of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour. Mr. Short added that he had an assurance that Admiral Kimmel and General Short would be tried after the war. The New York Daily News says that Admiral Kimmel is now employed as a consultant by a New York engineering firm, while General Short is an executive in a Ford motor plant. Admiral Kimmel, formerly United States Naval Commander at Hawaii, and General Short, formerly Army Commander at Hawaii, were relieved of their commands following the surprise Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour on December 7, 1941. SWORD FOR CHURCHILL KING OF SAUDI ARABIA LONDON, Dec. 6 Two Arabian Princes, the sons of King Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia, visited No. 10 Downing Street on Monday and handed Mrs. Churchill, on behalf of their father, a beautiful Arab sword with heavily jewelled hilt and gold scabbard, which also was heavily iewelled. This was a present from the King to Mr. Churchill. In making the v presentation, Amir Feisul said the sword was a sign of the friendship and admiration for Mr. Churchill's stand in the greatest crisis in the historv of the world. Mrs. Churchill, replying, said she ac-. cepted the sword on Mr. Churchill's behalf as a token of the steadfast friendship which the King had always shown toward Britain. SUBMARINE WARFARE MORE ENEMY SHIPS SUNK (Reed. 5.35 p.m.) LONDON, Dec. 6 British submarines are continuing their offensive against German shipping and German-controlled shipping in the Mediterranean, says the British official wireless. An Admiralty communique states that an escorted medium supply vessel was torpedoed and sunk off the Aegean island of Samos. Another medium supplv vessel was sunk by a torpedo while lying at anchor at Monevasia Bay, in Southern Greece. Fourteen small supply ships, several of which were carrying ammunition, were destroyed in other parts of the Aegean. One submarine successfully bombarded warehouses on the shores of Naxos Island and sank a seaplane moored in the bay. A floating dock 300 ft. long being towed was destroyed in the same area. In addition to successful actions in the Aegean, a British submarine torpedoed and sank a large landing craft in tow in the Gulf of Genoa. The landing craft was laden with motor transport. Off Toulon, on the Mediterranean coast of France, a medium tanker was hit by a torpedo. It was . not possible to observe the full result of the attack. INTERNATIONAL BANK RUSSIA NOT INTERESTED LONDON, Dec. 0 Professor Varga, the Russian economist, in an article in the paper War and the W° r ln n g Class, says that Russia is interested in all steps calculated to hasten the restoration of the economies of other countries as well as that of Russia. However, Russia is not interested in any international bank or currency stabilisation fund, owing to the different methods she has adopted to secure her stable currency. Advocating a gold standard, Professor Varga writes: "If all Russia's trade with the rest of the world could be done on the basis of a fixed value in gold currency, trade relations would, undoubtedly be facilitated." UNITS FOR GREEK NAVY DESTROYER AND CORVETTES (Reed. 9.15 p.m.) LONDON, Dec. 7 The British Navy has handed over a destroyer and four corvettes to strengthen the Greek Navy in the Mediterranean. The ships have been renamed and will be manned entirely by Greek sailors. The destroyer had the distinction of leading into Malta the t Italian battle squadrons after the Italian • surrender. The handing over ceremony took place at a Mediterranean port, and King George of' Greece addressed the new ship's company on the quarter deck.