STRATEGIC PORT

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 244, 16 October 1939, Page 8

STRATEGIC PORT

JAPAN FACES LOSS CHINESE CUT RAILWAY GAINS IN THE NORTH (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright] J ' NEW YORK, Oct. 13. The Hongkong correspondent of the Associated Press of America says that Chinese dispatches claim that their advance forces have cut the Japanese railway north of Yochow, threatening the loss of this strategic middle Yangtze port, which would erase the most important Japanese gains since the fall of Hankow, The Chinese assert that the Japanese are being pushed back to the north in Hunan, Kiangsi, and southern Hupeh. MAY BE AVERTED CABINET CRISIS IN TOKIO RESIGNATIONS WITHDRAWN Received Oct. 14. 5.5 p.m. NEW YORK, Oct. 13. The Tokio correspondent of the Associated Press of America says the Cabinet crisis appeared to be averted when a spokesman for 150 resignees announced the withdrawal of the resignations on October 12. The Government agreed to respect their wishes _ in a ’’compromise plan for the crea- . tion of a new Trade Ministry’.’ ’ The Tokio correspondent of the ’ ' United Press of America reported 1 I earlier that the officials' resignation.; I had not been accepted. Efforts were . being continued to induce their act 1 ceptance of a modified plan whereby . |the appointment of commercial at- » i taches would be retained, in the i I Foreign Office. General Abe Held Mr. iTani, the Vice-Foreign Minister, i i blameless and did not accept responsibility for the resignation of other i officials. | The Tokio correspondent of the 5 "New York Times" reported on Octo- , I ber 5 that the entire staff of the commercial department of the Foreign ; Office was on strike against Cabinet's ■ decision to merge them and four other ■ departments in a new Ministry o f . Trade, created largely as the result of th- army policy. The Foreign Office feare the Ministry would take economic diplomacy from them in the same way as the creation of the China Affairs Board last year took the China policy away. AMERICAN APOLOGY > INCIDENT AT TIENTSIN t c f ■ Received Oct. 14, 5.5 p.m. NEW YORK, Oct. 13. v | The Tientsin correspondent of the ■ Associated Press of America says the Japanese military authorities an--1 ' nounced that United States officials had offered to apologise, pay compensation. and courtmartial the marine • ; responsible for the wounding of ' Japanese police on October 12. Japan, ' ■ therefore, regards it as a “local issue. q RAID ON AIRFIELD r 1 . CHINESE BOMBERS’ SUCCESS i I Received Oct. 15, 6.30 p.m. e ; CHUNKING. Oct. 14. t I It is officially stated that three 1 I Chinese bombers wiped out an airfield ?! at Hankow, destroying nearly 100 I Japanese planes on the ground, after i i which they gave battle to chasers for j 200 miles, shooting down three. , Domei news agency states that - i 2 • Aiinese planes raided Hankow and i 1 dropepd 40 bombs. killing fifty ■ Chinese and no Japanese. The only damage was ignition of petrol stored at a suburban airport. CHINESE DOLLAR GERMAN REPORT DENIED - 1 Received Oct. 15. 7 p.m. LONDON. Oct. 14. i It is stated that there is no truth I in the German allegation that Britain s is withdrawing support of the Chinese ‘ dollar. WHEAT SHORTAGE JAPANESE RESTRICTIONS 1 j Received Oct. 15. 6.20 p.m. WASHINGTON, Oct. 14. ' The United States Trade Commis- ‘ : sioner at Tokio reports that a wheat ' shortage resulted in the Government 1 restricting wheat and flour exports to I yen bloc areas. If the control is effective Japanese flour will cease to ‘ i compete with Australian and Amerir I can in North China and Manchukuo. ANOTHER “INCIDENT” - - JAPANESE AT SHANGHAI e J a - ENTRY FORCED INTO BRITISH BUILDING , f NEW YORK, Oct. 13. The Shanghai correspondent of the American Associated Press says that , 20 armed Japanese plain-clothes men ’ occupied a building owned by the " Chinese Government Bank of Com- . munications located in the British de--1 fence sector of the International s Settlement. They are reported to have overpowered the watchmen and attendants, removed the furnishings, smashed the doors and destroyed the stationery. The buildings had been used as living quarters for the staff since banking operations had been transferred to the French Concession in 1937. The occupation has created a delid , cate situation, since any attempt at d | ejection might broaden into another dispute between Britain and Janan. k

JAPANESE ATTACK REPULSED BY CHINESE COMMUNISTS e Lt CHUNGKING, Oct. 12. n The Communist Eighth Army in e Shansi repulsed an attack by 40,000 i- Japanese divided into nine mechanised ?- columns, killing 2000. il o 5 d JAPANESE APPOINTMENTS e ff Received Oct. 15, 6.30 p.m. n TOKIO, Oct. 14. n Lieutenant-General Otozo Yamada, formei commander of the forces in i- Central China, has been appointed InLt spector-General of Military Education, and Lieutenant-General Korechinka Anami Vice-War Minister.