CANTON SURPRISE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19550, 4 February 1938, Page 5

CANTON SURPRISE

SHIPS ORDERED TO LEAVE

BOOM TO BE CLOSED

JAPAN’S LOSSES TN WAR

22,000 REPORTED KILLED

(Elnc. Tn). Copyright—United Pross Assn.)

(Reed. Feb. 4, nobn.) LONDON, Feb. 3.

A message from Hongkong stales that Canton is seething with excitement after a Chinese warning to all foreign ships to leave the harbour before night, owing to a decision to close the boom across the Chukiang or Pearl River.

The Chinese recently assured Mr. A. P. Blunt, the British ConsulGeneral at Canton, that 24 hours’ notice of the closing of the boom would be given to enable the evacuation of British women and children to Hongkong.

The shipping companies, unable to clear the ships at such short notice, are pleading for an extension of time.

Smallpox Is ctrsquietingly increasing in Canton, 120 fresh cases being reported for the week ended January 29 and 50 in the last 24 hours.

The Domei News Agency reports that 1000 soldiers were killed when the Japanese bombed 140 junks from the air after the occupation of Pengpu.

Apart from the reported assassination of a Japanese commander at Hangchow, there is nothing to connect General Matsui with the incident.

According to a message from Tokio the Minister of War, General Sugiyama, informed the Diet that 22,000 Japanese had been killed in the Chinese hostilities to date. The Prime Minister, Prince Konoye, informed the Diet that he had prepared a new mobilisation bill for putting the nation on a war basis as tire conscription law was inadequate. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Hirota,- declared that there was a complete deadlock in the customs negotiations with Shanghai. Japan had no intention of taking over the customs, though the revenue was being deposited in the Yokohama Specie Bank.