SOME COMPLEXITY.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 364, 4 March 1932, Page 1

SOME COMPLEXITY.

Dr Yen says Armistice was Broken. CHARGE AGAINST JAPAN. (Received March 4. 12.30 p.m. RUGBY, March 3. A situation of some complexity exists regarding the actual position at Shanghai. When the League of Nations Assembly met at Geneva this evening the Chinese delegate, Dr Yen, declared that the negotiations for an armistice had broken down, but when the Japanese delegate, Mr Matsudaira, spoke immediately afterwards he read a telegram stating that the Japanese military and naval commanders had signed an order for all their troops to halt on their present positions and to cease fighting, provided the Chinese took similar action. Dr Yen, in declaring that the armistice negotiations had broken down, attributed this to the failure of the Japanese to carry out the proposals agreed upon at the meeting in Sir Howard Kelly’s flagship on February 28. The Chinese troops had been withdrawn on the strength of that agreement. He read the terms of the Japanese reply, dated to-day, which set out conditions imposing the terms of a conqueror, which China would not accept. He appealed to the Assembly to establish an armistice in conformity with the terms reached aboard the British flagship and in conformity with the spirit of the League Covenant. Mr Matsudaira (Japan), having read the terms of the telegram ordering the Japanese troops to cease fighting, contended that his country was justified in every action it had taken during the Far Eastern trouble and again declared that she harboured no territorial designs.

In the House of Commons, the Japanese order to cease hostilities from 2 p.m. was announced.

Shanghai Press messages state that the further meeting arranged between the Japanese and Chinese authorities did not take place, but the commander of the Chinese 19th Army is reported to have ordered the cessation of hostilities as from to-night. Some slight firing by the Chinese from their new positions occurred during the day, but it is possible that this may have resulted from confusion consequent on the rapid developments of the last few hours.

A hopeful view of the situation was taken by Captain A. Eden in the House of Commons. He recalled that the proposals made for the cessation of hostilities were forwarded to the Chinese and Japanese Governments by their authorities in Shanghai, and a final reply from the Japanese Government was received in Shanghai last night. On March 1, the representative at Nanking of the British Minister in China was informed by the Chinese Foreign Minister that the retirement of the Chinese troops was intended, and this took place over the whole front yesterday. As a result of these events the Japanese authorities gave orders to cease hostilities as from 2 p.m. to-day. Sir Howard Kelly informed the Chinese accordingly, who, he understood, agreed to issue similar orders. A further conference is to take place aboard H.M.S. Kent. Captain Eden added that while these efforts were being made at Shanghai the League Council was in no way relaxing its efforts for further liquidation of the situation, and there were good grounds for anticipating a satisfactory solution.

The House of Commons paid a tribute to Sir Miles Lampson and Sir Howard Kelly, at Shanghai, and Sir John Simon, at Geneva, for their peace efforts. The House cheered a reference bv Captain Eden to the “ Welcome and invaluable co-operation by the United States, with the Powers represented on the League Council.”

WREATHED IN SMILES.

(Received March 4, 11.30 a.m.) GENEVA, March 3. With the announcement of Japan’s cease fire order confronting them at the breakfast table the delegates to the special meeting of the League Assembly on the Sino-Japanese trouble met with faces wreathed in smiles. It was significant that the whole of America’s Disarmament Conference delegates were seated in the Diplomatists’ Gallery.

HUMOURS OF WAR.

SAN FRANCISCO, February 26. The ‘Chronicle” prints an amusing and characteristic cable from Shanghai, in which Captain Longlance, of the American 31st Infantry, on duty in Shanghai, demands to know: “ Why doesn’t the War Secretary tell us who in hell we are fighting out here? ” Captain Longlance related that he heard much firing last night, and located wild shooting within a narrow alleyway. “ I reached the barbed wire barricade just in time to extricate two badly frightened Chinese. They were caught in the wire that separated my street from the Japanese street. “ I searched them and found nothing incriminating, so let them free, just as a squad of Japanese marines appeared. “ The Japs, demanded that I hand them over, and even wanted to chase them down my street, but I induced them to stay on their own side of the fence.

“ Now, in a case like that, whom should I have landed on if a fight started? That’s what every American here wants to know.”