CHINESE RAID ON AERODROME

Southland Times, Issue 23497, 2 May 1938, Page 7

CHINESE RAID ON AERODROME

Japanese Machines Destroyed FIERCE FIGHTING AT TANGCHENG SPECTACULAR AIR BATTLE OVER HANKOW (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright) (Received May 1, 6.30 p.m.) HANKOW, May 1. The Japanese recaptured Tangcheng, which has changed hands twice in 12 hours. The Chinese twice raided the Japanese aerodrome, and claim to have destroyed 21 aeroplanes. The Chinese claimed that in a terrific counter-attack they recaptured Tangcheng and arrested the Japanese drive to Lunghai. They also repulsed a, Japanese counter-attack on Yihsien. Nearly 1000 persons were killed and wounded in the Hanyang suburb of Hankow in a Japanese air raid staged to mark the birthday of the Emperor Hirohito of Japan. The Chinese anticipated the raid which culminated in a spectacular air battle between 50 Chinese and 39 Japanese aeroplanes. The Chinese lost three machines and the Japanese 20. The' Japanese air raiders’ objective was the Hanyang Arsenal, China’s biggest arsenal, but it entirely escaped damage. ' The populace cheered the fall of flaming Japanese aeroplanes but, because of the release of a chain of bombs right across the city, a half-mile section, full of dead and wounded, is a scene of mourning. Houses collapsed like cards burying the occupants under tons of debris. Thirty charred and unidentifiable bodies were recovered from a single shop.

JAPANESE EMPEROR’S BIRTHDAY AMNESTY TO PRISONERS TOKYO, April 29. In celebration ofj his thirty-seventh birthday the Emperor Hirohito of Japan has reduced or cancelled, the sentences of 319 prisoners, including a judge, and an army surgeon involved in tiie attempted military coup of 1936. This is additional to the general amnesty of February 11. Two Heinkel monoplanes, piloted by Japanese, are reported to have arrived from Berlin. GROWING MENACE- OF COMMUNISM JAPAN’S ATTITUDE IN CHINA (United Press Association) WELLINGTON, April 30. The growing menace of Communism in the Far East was the real issue in the Sino-Japanese conflict. The Nanking Government was dominated by Russian influence and'the threat to Japan had reached a stage where forbearance was no longer possible, declared Mr Kuchi Gunji, who arrived this week to take up his duties as first Consul-General for Japan in New Zealand in an interview today. “We do not ask the outside world to favour Japan against China itself, but we do ask that if you listen to the Chinese assertions you should also listen to our side,” he said. The Nanking Government’s policy had consistently been anti-Japanese and matters had reached a stage where Japan had no alternative but to take action in her own interests in foreign countries. Nanking .was dominated by Moscow and if China became wholly Red, a grave menace to British and American interests in and around the Pacific would immediately arise. For her own sake Britain should co-operate with Japan to combat Communism in the Far East. Russia was Japan’s enemy and must remain so. Japan had no territorial ambitions in China. Her foreign aspirations were purely economic in order to allow the development of her industries at a rate that would enable her growing population to live. It had been asserted many times that the Army had forced the Government into the present trouble, but that was untrue. Japan had neve’been more united.