ABANDONMENT RUMOURED

Taranaki Daily News, 4 March 1933, Page 7

ABANDONMENT RUMOURED

“CHINESE LEAVING JEHOL’’ JAPANESE CLAIM ADVANCE NOW nearing jehol city Rec. 10 p.m. Shanghai, March 3. A flash telegram from Peking states it is reliably reported that the Chinese commenced to abandon Jehol this morning. The Japanese now claim they have advanced beyond Lingyuan, occupying Peikung. They expect to take Pingchuan shortly. It is after passing Pingchuan that the real difficulties will commence, for the route to Jehol is only along narrow defiles not wide enough to accommodate two motor-cars abreast. The Chinese are securely entrenched on the hilltops, and it is believed the Japanese will resort to machine-gunning from aeroplanes. A later Kobe , message says the Japanese report the capture of the last large town in the path towards Jehol and that 70 miles remain, mainly of open, uneven country. It is officially understood that Mr. Psopin, Chinese Minister at Tokio, -is likely to be recalled, but the charge d’affaires remains and relations are unbroken, says a Tokio message. “EMBARGO SILLY AND FUTILE.” SIR lAN HAMILTON’S OPINION. London, March 3. “A bloody war has begun which might never have occurred if the Japanese army had not been regarded’ as a prisoner in the dock; when and where will it end?” asked Sir lan Hamilton'’ in his rectorial address at Edinburgh University.’ " “Britain’s embargo on the export of arms to the Far East is silly and futile, as Hongkong and Singapore lie practically within the grasp of Japan, and this the Japanese well know. They shadowed my inspections in 1912 when I made landings at Hong Kong and Singapore with troops drawn from the respective garrisons. The defences of Hong Kong have since been further reduced, and nothing short of big British naval and aerial detachments can defend them against a Japanese coup de main.”