FIGHTING IN MANCHURIA

Waikato Times, Volume 112, Issue 18703, 1 August 1932, Page 7

FIGHTING IN MANCHURIA

THREE DAYS’ BATTLE. CHINESE LEADER KILLED. BODY FOUND ON THE FIELD. United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright. (Received August 1, 10.30 a.m.) TOKYO, July 31. After three days of very severe fighting General Tanaka’s contingent routed General Machanshan’s troops near HailUhgfu, eastward of Tsitsihar, yesterday. War Office dispatches state that General Machanshan himself was identified among the 200 Chinese dead on the battlefield. Before the seizure of Manchuria by Japan General Ma was the “ Governor of the Provincial Government of Heilungkiang and concurrently Vice-Commander-in-Chlef of the NorthEastern Defence Forces." Last September he offered stubborn resistance to the Japanese advance, especially along the banks of the Nonni River. Later, when the Governor of Manchuria, Marshal Chang Hsueh Liang, withdrew with his forces to Peking, General Ma assisted in the formation of the so-called “ State" of Manchoukuo. The Japanese appointed him a “member of the Political Council, Governor of Heilungkiang, and Minister of War." General Ma did not long hold these Japanese engineered offices which, with all the proceedure connected with Manchoukuo, he stated were illegal. He held the appointments temporarily ,he said, to enable him “to detect the true character of the Japanese intrigues." lie maintained that the Emperor Pu-yi was kidnapped to force him on the “throne," and that the inauguration ceremonies were “all false and engineered by the Japanese," while there was a “ General Affairs- Department" headed by a Japanese and in control of all the Ministries and that the “so-called Cabinet” met and had to do just what it was told. Upon vacating office General Ma, at the head of a few remaining regular Manchurian troops and guerilla bands, once again took the field against Japan. In the past few months lie inflicted severe punishment dn the Japanese troops operating against him.