DENIAL OF TRUCE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19377, 15 July 1937, Page 5

DENIAL OF TRUCE

PEKIN WARFARE CHINESE DEFY JAPS. REFUSAL TO YIELD LAND MEDIATION SUGGESTIONS CURT TOKIO REJECTION (Eire. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (Reed. July 15, 11.50 a.m.) LONDON, July 14. Reports from Pekin state that half an hour after midnight sharp fighting occurred in which artillery and trench mortars were engaged nearer the walls of the city than hitherto. The Nanking Government has instructed the Chinese commander not to yield an inch of territory and not to sign any agreement and declaring it is an inaccuracy that the Chinese Government has apologised and that a truce has been arranged. Prior , to this declaration, a report received from 'the Toldo correspondent of The Times stated that the Japanese War Office had announced that the Chinese Government had submitted the following signed proposals for a settlement of the Wangping (Liukouchaio) affair: —

(1) No Chinese troops in future to be stationed at Liukouchiao and order will be maintained by peace preservation officers.

(2) The Chinese agree to a formal apology being made by the 29th Army, and to punish those responsible for the recent incidents, to give guarantees against their recurrence, and to suppress anti-Japanese organisations, including the Communist Party. Punishment Proposals

These proposals were considered in Tokio to be satisfactory, and it was claimed that the Japanese War Office, by publishing them, showed a desire to localise the dispute. Negotiations were said to be proceeding at Pekin on the details of the agreement, including, it was understood, the selection of persons to be punished and measures for giving effect to the guarantees offered.

A New York message says that Dr. Kung, the Chinese Finance Minister, who is visiting America, has issued a statement declaring that China desires amicable relations with Japan, but that she will no longer “lie down” if Japan continues forcibly to occupy Chinese territory.

An official memorandum from the Chinese Consulate to the press in Sydney denies the earlier message from Tokio regarding the proposals for settlement and points out that if there is any apology to make, it must come from Japan.

Situation More Grave “If there have been submissive notes, why is the fighting still going on?” the memorandum asks. “As a matter of fact, the situation is graver than it was yesterday, which shows that Japan is using her old methods to separate the Chinese authorities and to fool the people of the world, but this time she has made a mistake.” A message from Tientsin declares that negotiations have reached a deadlock. Japan is angered by the alleged premeditated attacks by Chinese troops in violation of the first day’s armistice. Activity prevails in the Japanese concession in Tientsin. Schools and other public buildings are being utilised for the accommodation oT the wounded, who are arriving from Fengtai. A thousand Japanese with machine-guns and trench mortars went to Fengtai this morning. A Shanghai report states that the Sixth Central Government divisions under Marshal Chiang Kai-Shek, and largely German-trained, left for the borders of the Hopei province in preparation for eventualities. Intervention Not Welcome

As a rejoinder to suggestions from Nanking through Paris, that Britain, America and France intend energetically to intervene in the dispute, the Japanese Foreign Office spokesman declared that Japan would not welcome’ such intervention. He declared that the crisis had not abated and that the future depended on China.

Meanwhile, Lieut.-General Katsuki has arrived to take over the Japanese command in North China to protect Japanese rights. The British United Press correspondent says that even Communists joined the patriotic chorus that the Japanese must be driven out of China. Li Chung-Yen, Commander-in-Chief at Kwangsi, has telegraphed to Marshal Chiang Kai-Shek pledging his army’s support of national resistance of Japan. The Japanese troops have begun a two days’ march towards Pekin from Tientsin in full war equipment in sweltering heat. The British United Press correspondent at Tokio says that the Chinese Charge d’Affaires requested the evacution of the areas recently occupied by the Japanese troops and the cessation of further advances, but received a firm refusal. He was told that Japan held China responsible for the crisis.