HARDLY TOUCHED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23865, 20 July 1939, Page 11

HARDLY TOUCHED

HUGE ARMIES AVAILABLE CHINA’S MAN POWER CASUALTIES REPLACED (United Press Association) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright) SHANGHAI, July 18. General Chen Cheng, Vice-Minis-ter of War, declares that two years of war have hardly touched China’s man-power. The army numbered 1,000,000 when the war began, and is now composed of 2,500,000 frontline effectives. “ There is no difficulty in filling the gaps due to casualties. Besides 100 reserve regiments, there are 15,000,000 ablebodied men with some training who could be drafted to fit the front li i

DEADLOCK REACHED PARTED IN ANGRY MOOD TOKIO, July 19. (Received July 20, at 2 a.m.) After heated talks during two sessions totalling five hoars Sir Robert Craigie and Mr Arita reached a complete deadlock at 6.10 p.m. in their efforts to establish a basis for a conference on Tientsin. It has been authoritatively stated that the two parted in angry mood, postponing the further meeting until Friday. Sir Robert Craigie, in a communciation to London, said that in view of the complete disagreement and the fact that Mr Arita was adamant it would be useless to continue unless Britain revised her whole policy in the Far East.

short intensive training. Eight millions have been trained for military warfare in the past three years, and nearly 6,000,000 regimented into the local militia. It is planned to train 4,500,000 additonal men in various parts of China. China will win this war.” JAPANESE ATTACK ON MACAO TEMPORARILY ABANDONED LONDON, July 18. The Hongkong correspondent of The Times says; The Japanese temporarily abandoned the attack on Macao, the Chinese meeting ti e threatened Japanese landing at Swabue, where they are blockading the bays. The Japanese at Kulangsu stopped the water supply as a reprisal for not being allowed to control the settlement. CHINESE SUCCESSES SEVERAL VILLAGES CAPTURED SHANGHAI, July 18. The Chinese captured Chaochow, he northern terminus of the railway from Swatow. They also captured Chaon, Anpu, Fuyang, Yihsi, and Fengshi, driving the J. panese southwards after killing 1000. CONDITIONS IN HONGKONG HIGH COST OF LIVING LONDON, July 18. The Hongkong correspondent of The Times says: The decline of the Chinese dollar is causing Chinese to go to Canton owing to the high cost o' living in Hongkong, where the first Japanese-English language paper has appeared. The Japanese Consul-General in Canton visited Hongkong on an undisclosed mission. It is denied that the Japanese officially mcourage the antiBritish agitation. The stabilisation fund again stopped the selling of sterling and the Chinese dollar fell to sd.

THE FUKIEN COAST BLOCKADE TIGHTENED LONDON, July 18. The British United Press Shanghai correspondent says the blockade of the Fukien coast is being tightened up. The Japanese announced thj closing of the harbours at Santua Loyuan, and Schacheng by means of booms. Third Power nationals and ships are requested to evacuate. TOKIO NEGOTIATIONS RESUMED YESTERDAY TOKIO, July 18. Sir Robert Craigie and Mr Arita will resume the conversations concerning Tientsin to-morrow morning. Negotiations have seldom been conducted in a worse atmosphere. Tokio is quiet, but the anti-British agitation rages elsewhere. The agitation in China could not have ' sen begun without the approval of the Japanese army, and provides evidence of powerful influences to prevent a settlement acceptable to Britain.