JAPAN’S NEW DEMANDS

Southland Times, Issue 23825, 24 May 1939, Page 5

JAPAN’S NEW DEMANDS

BRITISH AREA AT TIENTSIN ATTEMPT TO CONTROL CONCESSIONS ENCIRCLEMENT POLICY SUSPECTED (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright) (Received May 23, 7.10 p.m.) LONDON, May 23. The Japanese authorities are rejported to have submitted new and farreaching demands to the British Municipal Council at Tientsin, says the Peiping correspondent of The Times. The demands include: —

(1) A joint search by the British and the Japanese for terrorists in the British concession. (2) The engagement of Japanese advisers by the council. (3) The extradition of any terrorist arrested by the British. It stated that measures contemplated by the Japanese include the taking over of all foreign concessions at Tientsin by the provisional Government, the supervision of the concession councils by the Japanese and the encirclement of the concessions to reduce their importance.

The Japanese commander-in-chief, is conferring with French, British and American representatives about the withdrawal of the Japanese from Kulangsu, the international settlement near the treaty port of Amoy.

A later message says that the Japanese Consul-General at Amoy has protested to the' British, French and American consulates against the landing of the sailors at Kulangsu last week, which he says is regarded as an unfriendly act most unpleasant in its effect. He reiterated Japan’s demands for reorganization of the Muncipal Council at Kulangsu. AIMS IN AUSTRALIA DENIED “HAVE NEVER DREAMED OF SUCH AN ADVENTURE’’ SYDNEY, May 23. Japan does not covet Australia, according to Mr Torao Wakamatsu, theretiring Japanese Consul-General. In a farewell to the Australian people he said: “I assert most emphatically that Japan has never been and never will be moved by any territorial ambition towards foreign countries other than those which are bound up with her own national security and the protection of her legitimate political and economic interests. We have never dreamed of any such aggressive adventures on the continent of Australia.” CHINA ASKS LEAGUE FOR SANCTIONS NEW ZEALAND AND SOVIET SUPPORT ' (Received May 23, 7.40 p.m.) GENEVA, May. 22. The Chinese delegate (Dr Wellington Koo) today asked the League of Nations Council to extend financial and material aid to (China, to withhold war materials from Japan, to secure restrictions of imports from Japan and to establish a co-ordinating committee to deal with these and other sanctions. The British delegate (Viscount Halifax),'sympathizing with China, said that Britain’s heavy responsibilities elsewhere prevented acceptance of the proposals and the absence of other countries from the League made co-ordina-tion in sanctions impossible. The New Zealand delegate (Mr W. J. Jordan) strongly supported Dr Koo. He denounced the sale of arms to Japan for profit. The Soviet Ambassador (M. Ivan Maisky) also supported Dr Koo. He quoted Mr Neville Chamberlain’s recent statement that Britain would support nations which resisted aggression. The council postponed a decision and also deferred the question of Palestine when Lord Halifax said it would be premature to discuss it in view of the White Paper at present before Parliament.