CHINESE APPEAL TO LEAGUE

Southland Times, Issue 23307, 17 September 1937, Page 7

CHINESE APPEAL TO LEAGUE

Need Of Expansion By Japan Denied THREAT IN PACIFIC POINTED OUT (United Press Assn:—Telegraph Copyright) (Received September 16, 6.30 p.m.) LONDON, September 15. Presenting China’s case to the League of Nations, Dr T. Z. Koo, the Chinese Ambassador to Paris, said that Japan went to China with 300,000 troops in pursuit of political domination, territory, raw materials and the elimination of other foreign nationals and a challenge to them in the Pacific. Was the League to accept as an inevitability lawlessness which destroyed the world’s peace and order? Dr Koo declared that the pretext that over-population was driving Japan afield could be dismissed. Japan had controlled Formosa for 40 years; less

than 250,000 Japanese had settled there, and only 500,000 had gone to Korea in 30 years. Japan’s density of population was less than that of some European countries. Similarly, Japan did not lack raw materials. The good intentions of the Chinese were always frustrated by Japan’s preference for plunder at the pistol point and her insistence that a pax Japonica should be based on abject. acceptance of Japanese domination, said Dr Koo. A spokesman of the Japanese Foreign Office, rebutting the Chinese charges that the Japanese attacked, non-com-batants and cultural buildings, states that the Chinese were using the latter as bases, and warned the League that if it acts on unsupported Chinese statements an incident similar to that of Manchukuo would follow in Central China. TARANAKI FARMERS IN PEIPING FORCED STAY DURING FIGHTING (Received September 16, 10.45 p.m.) SYDNEY, September 16. The passengers by the Kamo Maru, which arrived today from China, included two farmers from Tahora (Taranaki). They were detained for 13 days in Peiping while fighting between the Japanese and Chinese went on around them. All roads to safety had been blocked, but the New Zealanders took the first train out after the Japanese took possession of the city. They said the Chinese began working for the Japanese as soon as they entered the city. The wounded Chinese numbered about 2000, but no one seemed to worry about them or treat them. . The New Zealanders added that a phase of the war that was hard to understand was the way war material went through the Chinese Customs to the Japanese army in Peiping. BRITISH LINER HALTED BY JAPANESE ITO EXAMINATION ENFORCED (Received September 16, 10.0 p.m.) HONG KONG, September 16. A Japanese destroyer halted the Rawalpindi 100 miles from Hong Kong. The liner signalled that she was bound for Hong Kong and was allowed to proceed without examination.