SINO-JAP. CLASH

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19375, 13 July 1937, Page 6

SINO-JAP. CLASH

HISTORY OF DISPUTE FIGHT AT MANOEUVRES VIOLATION OF TRUCE POSSIBLE REFER!'USSTONS (British Official Wireless.) Reed. 1.45 p.m. RUGBY, July 12. The clash between Chinese and Japanese troops outside Pekin was the subject of several questions in the House of Commons to-day. The Foreign Secretary, Mr. Anthony Eden, said that, the information that had readied him so far was incomplete, but it indicated that Japanese troops, while holding manoeuvres near Lukouchiao, to the west of Pel:in, came into conflict during the night of July 7-5 with ;i battalion of the Chinese Twenty-ninlh Army garrisoning that town. There was considerable firing. Chinese from Man, yuan and Japanese from Tungchow, to the east of Pekin, joining in the fray.

Each side charged the other with provocation. . The Japanese demanded that the Chinese troops should evacuate Lukouchiao and retire to the west ol the river which flows past the town. The Chinese were reported to have done this, and according to press reports agreed to replace thd regular military units east of the river by militia on the understanding that the Japanese troops should be withdrawn to the neighbourhood of Fcng-Tai. further east, pending a settlement of the incident. Intermittent Fighting Subsequently both sides accused the other of* infringing the terms of the truce, and intermittent fighting had taken place. Mr. Eden's latest information received this morning was that Pekin itself was quiet and there was no news of further fighting. Under the terms of article IX ol the protocol of September 7, 1901, Japan and other foreign Powers are entitled to station troops at certain points in North China to keep open free communication between Pekin and the sea. The number of Japanese troops in North China is believed to amount to several thousands. The possibility of repercussions on British interests /and international trade generally as a result ot the tension, added Mr. Eden, was fully recognised. If the Anglo-Japanesc conversations developed in London that would afford an opportunity of discussing events with the Japanese Ambassador. It was the earnest desire of the British Government that there should be a settlement, not only of the present dispute, but of differences existing generally between China and Japan. _____