MORE BARRIERS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 19987, 12 July 1939, Page 7

MORE BARRIERS

JAPANESE PLANS WIRING AT SHANGHAI BRITISH-OWNED PROPERTY COURT MARTIAL. PENDING MILITARY ATTACHE (Elec. To], Copyright—United Press Assn.) (Reed. July 11, 1.50 p.m.) LONDON, .July 10. The Shanghai correspondent of the Daily Telegraph says that the Japanese are placing barbed wiring round British property similar to the action taken in Tientsin. They have encircled three Britishowned factories at Soochow Creek. They claim that they are merely tightening up the defences, but it is believed that they are deliberately attempting to hamper British enterprises. Shanghai and Pootung British have protested very strongly. Japanese despatches from the Shantung and Honan areas declare that an official economic boycott is being oi-ganised. Magistrates are inspecting British goods and forbidding further dealings.

.Messages from Shanghai make further reference to the case of Colonel C R. Spears, the military attache to the British Embassy in China, who on May 3f was reported to have been arrested by the Japanese at Kalgan and hold for inquiry on suspicions ox espionage.

The Japanese spokesman at Shanghai announced .to-day that Colonel Spears would be courtmartialled.

If this course is taken the occasion will be the first .time on which the Japanese army has put a foreign attache on trial.

The Japanese Consul-General in Shanghai has complained that Chinese masqueraded under the French flag during the fighting on Chushan Island on June 30 and has requested the French Consul to prevent a repetition. The United States Consul has protested against the bombing of Chungking endangering American nationals.