VICTORY PARADE BY JAPANESE

Southland Times, Issue 23374, 4 December 1937, Page 7

VICTORY PARADE BY JAPANESE

Troops In Shanghai Foreign Area

FRENCH BAR ENTRY TO CONCESSION

DISPLAY REGARDED AS CRIMINAL STUPIDITY

(United Press Assn. —Telegraph Copyright)

(Received December 3, 8.50 p.m.) LONDON, December 3.

Despite urgent representations by the foreign authorities in Shanghai, the Japanese began their “victory march” across the International Settlement this morning. The 8000 troops in the parade entered the British defence sector at 11 o’clock.

Foreign opinion condemns the Japanese parade as a piece of criminal stupidity, declaring that responsibility for any untoward incident will clearly lie at their door, says the Shanghai correspondent of The Manchester Guardian.

It is understood that the Japanese are planning a similar parade through the French Concession tomorrow.

France will not permit the Japanese to parade in the concession. “In no circumstances will such a parade be allowed,” the Paris correspondent of The Daily Herald was told in an authoritative quarter. Despite the French attempts to dissuade them, the Japanese again assert that they are marching a complete regiment across the French Concession tomorrow.- The intention, it is said, is primarily to impress the Chinese) The diplomatic correspondent of the Australian Associated Press learns that Britain does not take seriously the Japanese victory march in Shanghai. A spokesman of the Foreign Office described it as a childish exhibition. Britain will not attempt prevention and will confine her interest to minimizing the risk of incidents. GRENADE THROWN AT PARADE CHINESE PERPETRATOR SHOT DEAD (Received December 3, 11.40 p.m.) SHANGHAI, December 3. A hand-grenade exploded in Nanking road, near a Chinese department store, while the Japanese parade was passing. The Japanese immediately broke ranks and scattered in all directions.

The grenade was thrown by a Chinese whom a Chinese constable immediately shot dead. A British subject was struck by a fragment and slightly injured. It is reported that two Japanese soldiers were seriously injured and one was slightly Jiurt. ATTEMPT TO STEM JAPANESE TIDE DESPERATE DEFENDERS OF NANKING (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright) SHANGHAI, December 2. The, Chinese are making a desperate effort to stem the Japanese advance in the Tanyang sector of the Nanking battle area, where a fierce battle is raging. The spokesman for the Japanese Army made the surprising revelation that Chinese remnants are still holding sections of the Kiangyin forts, straddling the first boom across the Yangtze Kiang, 60 miles behind the Japanese vanguard. The forts are being bombed unmercifully. Fifteen hundred are reported to have been killed and wounded during the last two days in Japanese raids on Siaoshan.

Two Chinese planes, after bombing Japanese transports anchored off Woosung, and damaging two, carried out a surprise raid over Shanghai. They attempted to blow up the cruiser Idzumo alongside the Japanese Consulate and dropped one bomb in midstream. Meanwhile six Japanese planes raided Nanking. A Japanese spokesman claimed that they engaged 30 Russianbuilt Chinese machines, 13 of which were shot down. ' All the Japanese planes returned safely after bombing the city aerodrome. A number of Japanese bombers dropped bombs near the aerodrome in the north city of Canton, causing large fires. The Chinese claim that reinforcements have recaptured Kwangteh and advanced 13 miles.

At Port Tsing-tao the Chinese authorities are bordering on panic after rumours that the Japnaese are contemplating landing troops there. Ships have been ordered to be ready for an immediate departure, the banks are closed, and out-going British vessels are packed with refugees.