POSSIBILITY OF PEACE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 248, 19 October 1937, Page 7

POSSIBILITY OF PEACE

JAPANESE REFERENCE

Reaction of Chinese Being Tested

OBJECTIVES NEARLY' ATTAINED

(By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) Received Oct. 18, 9.50 p.m. PEKING, Oct. 18. The Japanese spokesman again referred to the possibility ol peace, apparently as Japan had nearly attained her objectives. The Japanese are testing the Chinese reaction to this. The Japanese assert further progress in south Hopei where they captured Shungteh. An armoured train, the spearhead of the advance, entered Hantan, 22 miles north of the Honan border. The Japanese have captured Potow, the western terminus of the Suiyuan railway. There was heavy fighting in the Yuanping region. Japanese aeroplanes dropped orders to those beleagured, stating that they must hold out ar. all costs as reinforcements were coming. The Chinese, supported by artillery and aircraft, stormed the Japanese positions. A Chinese divisional commander, a brigadier and two regimental commanders visiting the front line trenches were killed. A mobile Chinese column is threatening the Japanese hold on the Pe-king-Hankow railway north of Paotingfu, but the Japanese claim that they have captured Ksingkuhuan Pass on the Hopei-Shansi border. CUT OFF FROM BASE 50,000 JAPANESE COMMUNISTS LINK UP WITH OTHER FORCES LONDON, Oct. 17. The report of the British Unite? Press at Nanking reports that the Communist Eighth Route Army has cut off from its base 50,000 Japanese, comprising the advanced forces of the army striking north to Taiyuan. The Communists have now made contact with other Chinese forces, who have recaptured the Taiyuan-Pinghsink-wan Pass and also Taliutuen, west of the Yenmen Pass. , The Chinese admit a set-back in the evacuation of Pingyuan, on the Tientsin-Pukow railway. The Japanese have captured Potow, the western terminus of the Suiyuan railway. DEFENCE HOLDING SANGUINARY FIGHTING [ Per Press Association. ] WELLINGTON, Oct. 18. The folowing Nanking cablegram has been received by the Chinese Consul: Three more Japanese attempts to land reinforcements northwest of Loticn and further up the Yangtse River were frustrated. The Chinese are still holding the line line south-west of Lotien. There was sanguinary fighting in the Wentsaopang area, and the Japanese on the north bank in attempting to cross the creek were forced to retreat. On the south side of the creek Chinese machine-gun Are mowed down the Japanese advance. The Japanese bombed Pootung, Chapei, and Kashan station on the Shanghai-Hankow railway, and also extended the bombing to Kwangsi. The Chinese in Suiyan are massing at Saratsi and Paotow, preparatory to a counter-attack. JAPANESE AGAIN REPULSED Received Oct. 18, 9.30 p.m. SHANGHAI, Oct. 18. Japanese tanks and infantry again attacked Kwangfu, only to be repulsed with 1200 casualties.

BOYCOTT OF JAPAN TRADE UNIONISTS’ SUPPORT LONDON, Oct. 17. Sir W. Citrine, president of the International Federation of Trade Unions, reports a unanimous response to the call to boycott Japanese goods from the trade union organisations in New Zealand. Australia, Canada, Ireland, United States, France, Belgium, Switzerland, Scandinavia, Czechoslovakia and Austria. FEDERATION OF LABOUR NO DECISION MADE YET [ Per Press Association. ] WELLINGTON, Oct. 18. No decision with regard to the boycott of the Japanese has been reached by the Federation of labour, but from inquiries to-day it was ascertained that it would be fully discussed shortly, when the official attitude of the federation may be announced. AN AMERICAN REPORT DENIAL BY THE VATICAN ROME, Oct. 17. The Vatican denies an American report that the Church supports the Japanese action against China, as the latter is Communist. BACK FROM SHANGHAI TRAVELLER’S COMMENT. [ Per Press Association. ] AUCKLAND, Oct. 18. By a margin of a few days, Mr. and Mrs. Nello Porter, Auckland, missed the bombing of Shanghai. Th»y. re-

turned to-day by the Monterey after a four months’ tour of the East. “When we left Shanghai all the fighting was well north of the city,” said Mr. Porter. “When we left the people of Shanghai were satisfied that they would be secure. They did not think that the Japanese would infringe with the International Settlement laws.” Business was booming, both in China and Japan. In other parts of the Orient Mr. Porter found that there was little sympathy for Japan, but he believed that the feeling was produced mostly by fear of the Japanese. CREW OF SILKSWORTH ARRESTED BY POLICE Received Oct. 18, 10.20 p.m. NEWCASTLE, Oct. 18. The police arrested the crew of the Silksworth on a charge of being absent without the master’s leave. The agents for the vessel stated to-day that the Chinese actually had sanctuary on a British ship which would not be afforded them at Shanghai, Nanking or any other Chinese city. A message was received from Canberra saying the Chinese could land under a bond of £lOO each pending a settlement of the trouble, failing which the Chinese would be shipped back to China. The Chinese Consul-General, Dr J Pao, declared that nobody could compel nationals of another country to perform duties which would assist their country’s enemies. This, he said, was a political, not a legal, question. A fund has been raised in Newcastle to help the Chinese in their fight.

CHINESE WAR ’PLANES UNPRECEDENTED ACTIVITY Received Oct. 18, 11.50 p.m. SHANGHAI, Oct. 18. Chinese war ’planes, in unprecedented activity, carried out seven night raids on the Yangtsepoo airport, causing numerous fires, including a building occupied by Seventh Day Adventists. Japanese searchlights pencilled the skies while their archies fired in all directions, but the Chinese escaped unscathed.