HAINAN OCCUPIED BY JAPANESE

Southland Times, Issue 23741, 13 February 1939, Page 7

HAINAN OCCUPIED BY JAPANESE

FRENCH SPHERE OF INFLUENCE

TERRITORIAL AIMS DENIED BY TOKYO

(United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright)

(Received February 11, 6.30 p.m.) LONDON, February 10. It has been officially announced that Japanese forces landed on Hainan Island, south-west from Hong Kong. The navy co-operated in the landing, and troops immediately began to advance to the interior. An official announcement of the landing describes it as a military necessity aimed at the extermination of Chinese forces on the island.

An official Japanese statement says that a Chinese fort at Siuying fired on the Japanese vessels covering the landing at Hainan. The fort was silenced after a naval and aerial bombardment.

The Japanese occupied the capital, Kiungshan, and Hoichow without a casualty. In Tokyo a spokesman denied that the occupation implied Japanese territorial ambitions but said it was undertaken only to suppress bases in North Hainan, from which pirates were sending munitions to China, and which was now the chief route of supply for the army. The Japanese were occupying the bases and the Chinese were retiring. The French Government is watching the situation at Hainan, where France has a sphere of influence, but it is believed that the danger of an incident is not likely as there are no French police forces in Hainan.

PRONAZI PARTY IN JAPAN DISAPPEARANCE OF LABOUR POLICIES

(Received February 11, 6.30 p.m.) LONDON, February 10.

The Tokyo correspondent of The Times says that political Labour disappeared when the Social and Tohokai parties amalgamated, commanding 47 seats in the Diet.

The Tohokai principles combine Labour and rampant jingo: n. The leader, Mr Seigo Nakano, is an ardent admirer of Herr Hitler. The new combination aspires to be a kind of Nazi Party, advocating expansion abroad and totalitarian socialism at home.