WAR IN FAR EAST

Evening Star, Issue 23372, 15 September 1939, Page 11

WAR IN FAR EAST

DEFENCE FORCE COMMANDERS MEET DISCUSSIONS WITH JAPANESE Tress Association—By Telegraph-Copyright-NEW YORK, September 14. Tho * New York Times ’ Shanghai correspondent states that _ tension heightened on Thursday morning when the Japanese naval commander called a meeting of the British, French, Italian, and American defence force commanders at Japanese naval headquarters., It is conjectured that the Japanese will present new demands, possibly coupled with a time limit for disarming and for the departure of the British and French forces from the settlement concession. ■ It has just been revealed that when the Japanese first proposed the withdrawal of the British and Drench forces from Shanghai they offered to guarantee the inviolability of the defence sectors around the foreign areas, even though they were manned only by policemen. . TENSION RELAXED lEVIBIIN OF DEFENCE PLANS NEW YORK, September 14. The Shanghai correspondent of the ‘.New York Times’ says:— “To: the vast relief of the international population the Japanese did riot bring the 1 questions of evacuation arid disarmament. Instead they ■mildly suggested that the time had arrived to revise the international plans for, defence, contending that this was necessary in view of the changed conditions. ■ The upshot of the protracted session was a decision that the chiefs of staff should meet on an unstated date and devise revisions to be submitted to the commanders for approval. The belief is current that Mr Cordell Hull’s statement expressing America’s determination to resist abrogation of her rights and interests in China caused a last minute change in the Japanese proposals.” POSITION AT TIENTSIN BRITISH TROOPS (REINFORCED. SHANGHAI, September 14, (Received September 15, at 10.a.m.) ' Reinforced British troops are facing the Japanese at Tientsin since the British refusal to surrender two alleged anti-Japanese terrorists.