REJECTION OF ULTIMATUM.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 57, Issue 245, 28 July 1937, Page 5

REJECTION OF ULTIMATUM.

HOPES OF PEACE VANISH.

MORE JAPANESE BOMBERS

SHANGHAI, July 26

A Nanking message'states that the Government reported to Mr Sung Cheh-yuan (Governor of Hopei) that it rejects the ultimatum issued by General Katsuld (Japanese commander in North China) demanding the vyithdrawal of all troops in the Peiping district by noon to-morrow. The Government instructed him to prepare to fight, as all hopes of peace have vanished.

A message from Tientsin says that a state of emergency was declared there, following a bomb explosion in the Japanese Concession. A later message from Tientsin says the Japanese ultimatum demanding the withdrawal of the 37th Division expired as telegraph and telephone communication was severed. There is no news of the reply given from Peiping, hut it is believed it was a refusal.

The Japanese Legation at Peiping has ordered all its nationals to take refuge in the Embassy quarter. Japanese soldiers are reported to have arrived a.t Chong-ping, an important railway junction north of Peiping. They thus control all the railways leading from the city. A Tokio message says the Government has issued a statement that it has no territorial designs in North China and will not interfere with foreign interests.

Railway and telephone communication between Tientsin and Peiping is 'completely disrupted. It is reported that 17 Japanese bombers have arrived at Lang-fang for further operations against the Chinese troops, who have been forced to take up their positions at Huangtsun and Gang-tsun, two nearby railway stations. Extreme tension prevails on the Wanping sector, where Japanese troops at Ta Ching-tsun, north-east of Wanping, have beep reinforced by 2000 troops. In connection with the explosion of hand-grenades, in which 20 Japanese soldiers were killed after being admitted to Peiping, it is stated that seven other lories got through and the occupants took refuge in a Buddhist temple, where they were surrounded by Chinese troops, to whom they surrendered.

JAPANESE POLICY STATED.

“STOPPING COMMUNIBT

INVASION.”

TOKIO, July 26

The Foreign Minister (Mr Hirota), at an extraordinary session of the Diet this morning, declared that Japan’s policy in East Asia was directed toward stopping a Communist invasion.*

Mr Hirota emphasised Japan’s close relations with Germany, and warned China that unless she co-operated with Japan there might he an untoward outbreak at any moment. China, he said, held the key to the settlement of the present incident.