SURROUNDED BY ELECTRICITY

Southland Times, Issue 23848, 20 June 1939, Page 7

SURROUNDED BY ELECTRICITY

Wire Round Foreign Areas Charged NEW JAPANESE MOVE AT TIENTSIN (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright) (Received June 20, 12.15 a.m.) LONDON, June 19. The Commander-in-Chief of the Japanese forces in North China has announced that from 10 p.m. (Tientsin time) 31 miles of wire sui-rounding the British and French concessions will be charged with 220 volts of electricity. At Kulangsu a joint British, French and American committee it to be formed to arrange for the importation of food supplies by foreign ships. The Domei news agency asserts that Chinese feeling at Tientsin is rapidly mounting against the British, whom they blame for loss of employment. The French attitude thus far is praised, but the Japanese are sceptical about the future on the ground that the French concession is harbouring elements supporting Marshal Chiang Kai-shek, the Chinese leader, and is permitting them to use an illegal wireless set.

The Japanese commander of the blockading troops declared:— "There is no difference between here and the front line as far as fighting Marshal Chiang Kai-shek is concerned.”

The food situation at Kulangsu Is becoming worse. The return of the Japanese Consul-General (Mr Uchida) from Tokyo is expected to lead to more stringent measures with the object of realizing the Japanese demands. The Daily Express points out that Japan exports £130,000,000 worth of goods to the democracies and their colonies every year and less than £3,000,000 worth to Germany and Italy. It is obvious, it says, what would happen if the democracies stopped trading with Japan.

The Daily Express also says that Japanese agents in London are negotiating a deal which is reported to involve £1,700,000, by which they will sell British importers the whole of Japan’s surplus canned salmon, amounting to 680,000 cases, while great stocks remain unsold in the Canadian warehouses.