LATE NEWS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24790, 15 December 1941, Page 6

LATE NEWS

FIGHTING NEAR HONGKONG CHINESE ATTACK JAPANESE LONDON, Dec. 14. The United Press of America quotes a Chinese military spokesman as saying that crack Chinese troops attacked Japanese forces along the Canton-Howloon railway outside Hongkong. Violent engagements are in progress. , Chinese destruction squads are destroying bridges and telephone lines in the Japanese rear. The Chinese claim to have recaptured Senchuan, a strategic point north of Hongkong. A JAPANESE CLAIM FALL OF HONGKONG IMMINENT TOKIO, Dec. 14. Japanese headquarters staled that the capture of Hongkong is imminent. Naval headquarters announced that Japanese destroyers sank an American submarine off the Philippines. CONFIDENCE IN PHILIPPINES FIGHTING TO THE DEATH NEW YORK, Dec. 14./ Mr Francis Sayre, the American High Commissioner in ■ the Philippines, in a radio message from Manila, told the United States: “ We’ve come to grips in reality here. We have seen Japanese squadrons of planes dropping death and destruction upon portions of Manila and Cavite. In the commissioner’s office economic experts pile sandbags, political advisers stack water cans, and stenographers make improvised gas masks. We are fighting to the death because we have confidence in our cause and our leader. We know you will send help, not permitting disputes, red tape or anything else to delay the sending of effective help before it is too late,”

HOSTILE PLANES SIGHTED OVER BISMARCK archipelago MEIJJOURNE, Dec. 14. An official communique states that during the week enemy aircraft had been observed carrying out reconnaissance flights over the Bismarck Archipelago, but disappeared before they could be intercepted. The Bismarck. Archipelago consists of a group of islands nbrth-east of New Guinea. ADMIRAL DARLAN’S POLICY KEEPING FRANCE NEUTRAL LONDON, Dec. 14. It is . officially announced that the Vichy Cabinet unanimously approved Admiral Darlan’s conclusions resulting from the recent conversations with the German and Italian leaders. The Vichy representative of the British United Press says it is believed that Admiral Darlan’s policy aims to keep France neutral, but to defend the French Empire wherever it is attacked. Cabinet.intends to ensure that France will not re-enter the war unless provoked by aggression. OPPONENTS OF AXIS COMPLETE UNDERSTANDING WASHINGTON, Dec. 14. M. Litvinov told the press to-day that a complete understanding exists or will be arrived at between the Powers opposing the Axis. In a reply to the Soviet victory announcement, the German. News Agency insists that the withdrawal to winter quarters does not mean retreat, and that the measures taken are insignificant territorially to hardly be visible on the map. It declares that the figures of booty are completely inaccurate.