WAR MENACE IN EAST

Taranaki Daily News, 19 July 1929, Page 9

WAR MENACE IN EAST

CHINA STILL MOWUbiWJ RUSSIA BREAKS RELATIONS NATIONS EXCHANGE NOTES JAPAN BELIEVES IT BLUFF By Telegraph—Press Assn—Copyright. .Australian Press Association. Received July 18, 11.45 p.m. Shanghai., July 18. The Soviet has severed relations with China, states a Moscow message. The Mukden arsenal is feverishly manufacturing munitions, whilst the mobilisation and movement of troops are proceeding in all directions in Manchuria and adjoining provinces, despite tho reported friendly nature of China’s reply to the Soviet's ultimatum, says a Harbin message.

Military preparations in the north show no signs of slackening, further troop trains have left Harbin, going east to Pogranichnaya and west to Nanehuli. The few remaining Russian officials in Harbin state that the Chinese reply faits to open the way for negotiations. The last international train from Harbin failed to connect with the Russian train at Manchuli, indicating that through traffic lias been suspended. Shanghai is excitedly watching developments, following an Associated Press message from Moscow stating that diplomatic relations had been severed, though there is no statement from Nanking.

A Toklo message says well-informed people believe both the Soviet and China are bluffing and do not. expect actual warfare. Nevertheless, in order to safeguard Japan’s interests, it has been “decided to carry out the long projected addition of two battalions to Japan’s guards in Manchuria, which project, it was thought, would be abandoned in view of the Kellogg Pact and the new Cabinet’s retrenchment policy. ACID REPLY BY SOVIET ‘CHINA’S THE RESPONSIBILITY” REPRESENTATIVES RECALLED. United Service. Moscow, July 18. The Soviet, in reply to the Chinese Note, says that all means of reaching •an amicable settlement have been exhausted and the Soviet has been compelled to take the following measures, placing the entire responsibility of the consequences on China: — All Soviet diplomatic, consular and commercial representatives will be recalled from China. Ail Soviet officials will be recalled from the Chinese Eastern Railway.

Railway communications between the Soviet Union and China will be suspended. Diplomatic and consular representatives of China will be ordered immediately to leave Soviet Russia. The Soviet declares it reserves all rights arising -from the Peking and Mukden agreement of 1924, and describes, the Chinese Government's Note as unsatisfactory in its contents and hypocritical in tone. The Note complains that China has practically rejected the Soviet’s three absolutely necessary and perfectly moderate proposals. Instead of restoring the 'Pekin and Mukden agreements the Chinese Government sanctions their one-sided abrogation, thereby destroying the possibility of normal relations. Instead of reversing the unlawful actions regarding the railway China sanctions them, also unlawful repressions against Soviet citizens and institutions, and hypocritically attempts to justify these. “The Chinese Note’s reference to propaganda as an excuse for unlawful action of the Chinese authorities is false and hypocritical,” the Soviet’s Note concludes, pointing out that the real object of the Chinese action is revealed in the Press statement of President Chiang, who plainly declared: “There is nothing unusual in our measures, which are designed to take the Chinese Eastern Railway in our own hands.”