SALE OF RAILWAY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 76, Issue 111, 13 May 1933, Page 9

SALE OF RAILWAY

THE RUSSIAN OFFER STATEMENT BY LITVINOFF PEACE IN THE FAR EAST REPLY TO CHINESE PROTEST (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) Received May 12, 11.5 p.m. MOSCOW, May’ 12. M. Litvinoff, Soviet Commissioner of Foreign Affairs, in a statement explaining the Soviet’s reasons for wishing to sell the Chinese Eastern Railway, says that it has become a permanent source of friction with the Japanese and Manchukuo Governments and therefore a sale will serve the interests of peace. M. Litvinoff repudiates the Nanking Government’s right to protest at the sale, pointing out that Nanking forfeited this right eighteen months ago when it ceased to be an active partner in the management of the railway, which the Soviet is entitled to sell to anybody willing to buy. He adds that the Soviet has always considered that the railway should belong to the master of tho territory over which the line passes, but as it was constructed with the hard-earned money of Russia’s toiling masses, the Government could not sacrifice its property rights for nothing. CHANGLI CAPTURED ACTIVITIES NEAR WALL ASIATIC UNITY ASKED Received April 12, 9.50 a.m. SHANGHAI, May 11. The Chinese officially admit the loss of Changli, also alleging extensive Japanese preparations along the Groat Wall, which indicate an early extension of the present operations. An aeroplane, believed to be Japanese, flow over Peking early to-day and dropped handbills urging the Chinese soldiers to cease resisting their fellow Asiatics, otherwise the Japanese in Manchukuo would be forced to advance on the Peking-Tientsin area.