JAPANESE PARADE DENOUNCED

Southland Times, Issue 23375, 6 December 1937, Page 5

JAPANESE PARADE DENOUNCED

‘UNNECESSARY MARCH OF PROVOCATION’ THREAT TO FOREIGN RULE IN SHANGHAI FORESEEN (United Press Assn—Telegraph Copyright) (Received December 5, 6.30 p.m.) LONDON, December 4. “Good luck and the restraint of the inhabitants of the International Settlement prevented isolated episodes developing into a massacre,” says The Daily Telegraph in an editorial on the Japanese “victory march.” “But this merciful result owes no thanks to the Japanese parade, and it may be questioned whether, perhaps, the parade was not staged in the hope that the incident would be bigger. This was a wholly unnecessary march of provocation. “It will be agreeably surprising if dominance over Shanghai’s administration by Japanese threats is not strengthened by -a further grasp of power as a result of today’s events. The extraterritorial rights of the settlement are a poor safeguard against General Matsui’s machine-gunners.” The purpose of the “victory march,” which followed the over riding by General Kensuke Matsui, the Japanese commander-in-chief, of all British and American representations, was to convince the Chinese of Japanese military might and to shake British and American prestige. A Japanese spokesman described the parade as a transfer of troops from Jessfield to Hongkew, adding that further transfers of 5000 men to Nantao would take place today. The projected parade through the French Concession today has been abandoned, the French declining to permit it on any account. The Japanese now say it was not contemplated. The Japanese have virtually occupied part of the eastern section of the International Settlement, taking over the entire area between Chekiang road and Park Hotel and also Peking road and Foochow road. Japanese soldiers with rifles raised twice threatened drivers of British military lorries, compelling them to avoid traversing part of Nanking road, in the western section of the settlement, close by the Japanese. AMERICAN WARNING The Japanese withdrew from the United States marines defence sector in the International Settlement after Colonel Charles Price told them: “You are practically invading the American defence sector, and must immediately withdraw.” Mr Ronald Monson, The Daily Telegraph’s correspondent, says that the situation was at its most tense moment after the throwing of the hand-grenade by a Chinese. Thousands of lives were imperilled, and international relations in the settlement were threatened. The promptness of a Chinese municipal policeman in shooting the thrower before a man hunt began • saved _ the situation. Everyone expected machineguns to sweep the streets, but the Japanese preserved commendable discipline. Sub-Inspector J. McPhee, of Glasgow, was slightly injured by a fragment of the grenade. Apparently a Sikh policeman fired the first shot at the thrower, in whose body an examination disclosed four bullets.

The Japanese are in an ugly mood as the result of the bombing and the subsequent flag-breaking, over which an English lawyer, Mr E. T. Maitland, was detained, interrogated and later set free. Japanese cavalry patrolled the streets, all shops were closed, the trai.i service was at a standstill, and machine-gunners established posts. Japanese civilians menaced Americans, of whom one was beaten. Nanking road is under martial law and further troops have been poured into the zone.

Japanese and foreign officials and members of embassy staffs conferred in the streets.

In full view of the parade a Chinese committed patriotic suicide by jumping

from the roof of a Chinese amusement building as the procession turned into Thibet road, shouting: “Long live the Kuomintang!” He then leapt and was killed. A mounted Scottish sergeant from the International Settlement police headed the procession, followed by six mounted Sikhs, two British motor-cycle police, six Japanese cavalrymen, a brigadier-general on horseback, infantry and machine-gun companies and two batteries of field guns. The Japanese later withdrew the cordon from the scene of the bombing incident and later the Japanese troops evacuated the International Settlement. The Japanese Embassy stated that the investigations into the bombing had been completed, and it was not intended to take advantage of the incident ■