FRENCH INDO-CHINA

Evening Star, Issue 23695, 1 October 1940, Page 5

FRENCH INDO-CHINA

THE SITUATION QUIET JAPANESE MISSION ARRIVES HANOI, September 29. General Nishihara and another ranking general havo returned to Haiphong, heading a mission of 50 which will confer with Vice-Admiral Decoux to clarify and implement the agreement and settle the South China army’s invasion. The correspondent of tho United Press of America made a trip to the front 70 miles north-east of Hanoi and found the situation quiet. Officers said there had been no firing for three days, except by roaming Japanese guerrilla bands, who are accused of torturing to death at least 30 Frenchmen. FRENCH SOLDIERS TORTURED BAYONETED TO DEATH HANOI, September 30. French officers said that the Japanese were inciting tho Indo-Chinese against the whites. Eight 1* rench soldiers who were attempting to escape capture are reported to have been slowly bayoneted to death. The officers said that 140 French soldiers have escaped the Japanese thus far. Two officers reached Hanoi on Sunday after a 75-mile walk, crossing and recrossing the Japanese lines. The Japanese are issuing pamphlets to the natives on the new order in Asia, warning them not to resist, while requiring tho Europeans to show Japanese passes, without which they will be unable to walk the Haiphong streets. CANADIAN AIR FORGE NEW FLAG UNFURLED AIR-MARSHAL BISHOP PROMINENT AT CEREMONY (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, September 30. (Received October 1, at 11.50 a.m.)) Air-marshal W. A. Bishop, Canada’s famous air V.C., unfurled the Royal Canadian Air Force flag, which was flown for the first time at the station

of one of the Canadian squadrons now in England. The flag is similar to that of the R.A.F., with the Union Jack in tho top right-hand corner, but in place of the familiar red dot on a white background there is a maple leaf. Tho flag, which was approved by the King, was designed in Canada. Air-Commodore Walsh, Commauder-in-Chief of the Royal Canadian Air Force in England, accompanied AirMarshal Bishop. Later they flow on a visit t° another Canadian squadron. BANNED BY VICHY FOOD EXPORTS TO SWITZERLAND LONDON, September 30. (Received October 1, at 1.45 p.m.) ‘ Tho Times ’ says the Vichy Government lias banned the export of foodstuffs to Switzerland. The dearth of food is being accentuated daily. Many farmers are not bothering to gather their crops because there is no transport. The peasants are reluctant to make autumn sowings. Housewives wait in long queues for meagre amounts of food and many shops are almost empty. The extreme scarcity includes milk, butter, cheese, sugar, potatoes, soap, and textiles.