DRAMATIC DEVELOPMENT.

Waikato Times, Volume 121, Issue 20271, 13 August 1937, Page 7

DRAMATIC DEVELOPMENT.

INTERNATIONAL SETTLEMENT. CANNOT GUARANTEE SAFETY. CHARGES MADE BY CHINESE. United Press Assn. —Elec. Tel. Copyright. (Received August 13, 11 a.m.) LONDON, August 12. A message from Tokio states that the Emperor gave an audience to the War Minister. The Cabinet will hold an emergency meeting to-morrow morning. The Domei Agency reports that Chinese troops are converging on the Japanese section of Shanghai, and fighting is inevitable. Shanghai reports a dramatio development at a meeting of the International Truce Commission, when the Chinese representatives said that they could not guarantee the inviolability of the international settlement, and repeated the charge made ip 1932 that the Japanese used the settlement as the base for operations. The international settlement’s defence force consists of 950 British troops, 1050 American marines, 600 French Annamite troops, and 1900 volunteers, supported by the cruiser H.M.S. Danae, tlie flotilla leader Duncan, three French warships, and two American warships. Marshal Chiang Kai-shek’s 88th Division, stationed along the Shanghai and Nanking railways, is moving towards Shanghai. Russian Volunteers Active. Russian volunteers to-night closed Shanghai’s 15 gates, and manned five blockhouses west of the Japanese Hongkew district. The Chinese have blocked the Lower Yangtse River with obsolete ships, and removed the navigation marks, with the object of preventing Japanese naval movements. Five more Japanese destroyers and transports, with 1000 troops, have arrived. The Japanese now occupy Nankow. The Chinese flew to the hills, from which they will be difficult to dislodge. DEMANDS BY JAPAN. APOLOGY AND COMPENSATION. PUNISHMENT OF PERPETRATORS. United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright. LONDON, August 12. The Shanghai correspondent of the Daily Telegraph says that the Mayor of Shanghai, who is negotiating with the Japanese, slates that Japan, in (Continued in next column.)