WHOLESALE SLAUGHTER

Wairarapa Times-Age, 2 June 1938, Page 7

WHOLESALE SLAUGHTER

CHINA APPEALS TO CONSCIENCE OF WORLD Against Indiscriminate Bombing by Japanese EUROPEAN GOVERNMENTS AND LEAGUE URGED TO ACT By Telegraph.—Press Association. —Copyright. (Received This Day, 9.45 a.m.) HANKOW, June 1. The Chinese Government has instructed its diplomatic representatives in Europe to draw the attention of governments of the League of Nations to the terrible civilian casualties due to the indiscriminate Japanese bombing of Canton, appealing to the world conscience and expressing the hope, on grounds for humanitarianism, that urgent and effective measures will be taken to force the Japanese to cease the wholesale slaughter of civilians, which has caused casualties totalling several thousand noncombatants, including women and children, and which may be repeated elsewhere even more terribly. JAPANESE DEFENCE. CANTON NOT A DEFENCELESS CITY. TOKIO, June 1. With reference to the recent bombings of Canton, the Foreign Office spokesman, Mr Tatsuo Kawai, said: “The Chinese are denouncing us for attacking a supposedly defenceless city, but we spotted at least 31 emplacements of anti-aircraft batteries and 10 military establishments. Hence Canton cannot be recognised as defenceless. “Moreover, for obvious reasons; several such establishments are close to foreign property and another is close to the Sun Yet Sen Memorial. _ Nevertheless, we are doing our utmost not to damage foreigners.”