YANGTSE RIVER

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23671, 1 December 1938, Page 11

YANGTSE RIVER

CLOSED TO FOREIGN SHIPPING UNTIL JAPAN WINS THE WAR COMMANDERS NOTIFIED (United Press Association) '(By Electric Telegrapn—Copyright) SHANGHAI, Nov. 29. The Japanese Spokesman declared that the Yangtse would remain closed to foreign shipping until Marshal Chiang Kai-shek's Government was annihilated, or had capitulated, and China satisfactorily rehabilitated. Admiral Oikawa, Commander-in-Chief, sent a memorandum to the English, French, and Italian commanders in a similar strain. THE HONGKONG INCIDENTS SATISFACTORILY SETTLED (Independent Cable Service) HONGKONG, Nov. 29. After an Anglo-Japanese conference at Shumchun, the Japanese Consul, Mr Nakamura, announced that the Hongkong frontier incidents had been settled satisfactorily. CHINESE CURRENCY DANGER OF COLLAPSE VANCOUVER, Nov. 29. A message from Victoria states that Edward Hall Paton, a British financial adviser in the Far East, has arrived at Victoria from the Orient. He stated that the danger of a Chinese currency collapse was keeping the Yangtse River closed to international trading. A collapse would be as detrimental to Japan as to other countries. Mr Hall Paton is en route to London to report to the British Government. FORMER CHINESE MINISTER LETTER TO MR CHAMBERLAIN (Independent Cable Service) LONDON, Nov. 29. The former Chinese Foreign Minister (Mr Eugene Chen), in an open letter to Mr Chamberlain, states that peace in China, which is vital to British interests, can be established either by yielding to General Itagaki, who is representative of the military elements ruling Japan, or standing up to him with the Soviet by China's side.. Mr Chen adds: "You know, and General Itagaki knows, that Britain cannot withstand Japan. General Itagaki knows that France can do nothing unless Japan actually invades Indo-China, but General Itagaki also knows that Britain, with Soviet co-operation, can impose peace without sacrificing China. He knows that any war with Russia will be fought on Japanese territory. Neither British nor Chinese vital interests will be served if Britain alone embarks on peace mediation."