WAY TO PEACE

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIX, Issue 21960, 12 May 1941, Page 5

WAY TO PEACE

Withdrawal Of Japanese Troops (Rec. 8.27 p.m.) TOKIO, May 10. The Japanese Ambassador, Mr Honda, is returning to Japan with a plan based on an agreement between the army, navy and foreign service for peace in China says the Shanghai correspondent of the “Niehl Nlchi Shimbun.” Mr Honda, in an interview, said he had been informed that Chungking wants the wholesale withdrawal of Japanese troops as a pre-requisite for the opening of negotiations. Peace is possible only through the strengthening of the Nanking regime which Japan intends to do. The Tokio newspaper “TimesAdvertlser,” discussing Japan's China policy editorially, abandons hope of overcoming China through force and advocates reducing the scale of hostilities in order to promote peaceful conditions and improved trade. Colonel Aklyama, a Japanese military spokesman in Shanghai, referring to the “Tlmes-Advertlser’s” editorial, said: "The Japanese Army cannot catch the Chinese. This Continental arena is too large, but If the Chinese assume the offensive we are confident that we will be able to trap and annihilate them.” Sixty-three Japanese bombers raided Chungking to-day and about 50 persons were killed. The home of the British Ambassador (Sir Archibald Clark Kerr) was damaged.