MANCHURIAN FORCES

Southland Times, Issue 21580, 18 December 1931, Page 7

MANCHURIAN FORCES

COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF RESIGNS. (United Press Assn.—By Telegraph—Copyright.) (Rec. 7 p.m.) London, December 17. The Pekin correspondent of The Times states that a general reorganization is interpreted as meaning that Chang Hsuehliang has definitely cut loose from Manchuria. It was announced after a conference of MancHurian leaders that Chang Hsueh-liang had resigned as Commander-in-Chief of the Manchurian forces in favour of Chiang Tso-hsiang, Governor of the Kirin province, and was appointed to be the Nanking military cbmmissionar for North China. It is expected that Chiang Hsueh-liang will now consolidate his position in Pekin with the aid of a political council including representatives of the various military factions and prominent bankers, politicians and educationists. ■ JAPANESE TROOPS STRENGTH NOT ADEQUATE. (Rec. 1 a.m.) Tokio, December 17. Asserting that the troops at present in Manchuria are insufficient to maintain order and cope with bandits and military outlaws which are intolerably infesting the country, the army authorities have decided to strongly reinforce the relieving soldiers, who will soon be fatigued and exhausted owing to the rigours of the climate. LEAGUE ASSAILED SOUTH AFRICAN MINISTER. (Rec. 8.5 p.m.) New York, December 16. The South African Minister to the United States, Mr E. 11. Lovw, addressing a Dingaan’s Day gathering arranged by the South African colony here, indicted the League of Nations for what he termed its miserable failure to settle the Manchurian problem. He described its Assembly as a hotbed of intrigue, and advocated the withdrawal of South Africa and the outlay of money now expended on the League for an extension of “our diplomatic and trade representation abroad.”