SLOW PROGRESS

Grey River Argus, 14 September 1937, Page 5

SLOW PROGRESS

JAPAN’S OFFENSIVE On Shanghai Front ONLY SEVEN MILES ADVANCE. f [Aus. & N.Z. Cable Assn.J (Received September 13, 9.10 p.m.) LONDON, September 13. After one month’s lighting the Japanese on the Shanghai front have nowhere penetrated more than five miles from the coast. The Japanese ’planes have been unable to locate Chinese batteries that arc hidden in bamboo groves in FooLung. Communications are still open between Shanghai, Nanking and Hangchow, despite constant Japanese bombing. "The Times's" correspondent at Shanghai says: Experts consider that the Japanese can force the issue when their preparations are complete, but the question of whether more men can help them, is being considered. Adverse conditions have thus far, prevented the Japanese from taking the initiative. They can buy nothing in China. They must bring all of their food and labour from Japan. SHANGHAI, September 12.

The Chinese fiercely attacked Japanese blue-jackets at Shanghai. Using tanks, the Japanese captured Yanching, in the Woosung sector. They are now entrenching themselves and' the Chinese are preparing to counter-attack. The Japanese attempted in an air raid to blow up the historic Langhua pagoda, built, in the year 250 A.D. They failed, and succeeded only in shaking down 500 Buddhas inside from their niches. The bombs, however, destroyed •40 neighbouring houses. An eerie feature of the conflict. is the nocturnal evacuation of Chinese wounded. Secrecy of movement has been made necessary by the Japanese bombing of Red Cross lorries. A skeleton line of unlighted trucks moves to safety each night, with boy scouts acting as drivers and escorts. Five thousand Chinese wounded are accommodated in the hospitals and cabarets in the International Settlement. Beds are arranged on the dance floors of the cabarets, medicine bottles ousting wine bottles from the bars and officials replacing orchestra players. Singsong girls are joining women students as nurses. Patients exemplify the traditional Chinese stoicism, silently bearing the agony of bomb wounds and shell wounds.

Fruitless Japanese attacks almost equalised the casualty lists. r l he warfare is relentless. On both sides the wounded are being slaughtered Japanese allegedly shooting Chinese Red Cross members. The Japanese, until a Shanghai and Woosung junction is effected, cannot develop a mass attack. The Chinese last heavily in fighting, but their gallantry extorts praise from “even the ranks of Tuscany” in the shape of the Japanese general headquarters. The invaders are still struggling to effect a junction of forces at Shanghai and Woosung. Despite a week’s continuous infantry attacks, supported by artillery tire, a mile and a-half of the west bank, of the Whangpoo separates the two principal Japanese forces owing to the unforscen staying power of the Chinese, who, thougn bombed from the river, still remain sandwiched with deadly effect between the Japanese detachments, which hoped to surround and overwhelm them. Apart from the fact that the Eighth Route Army has not yet been encountered in force, the defeated Chinese habitually become bandits, for which reason the Japanese victory may leave the rear seething with guerilla, bands, which it would be tedious To exterminate.

CHINESE COUNTER ATTACK. REGAINS LOST GROUND. I Aus. & N.Z. Cable Assn. J (Received September 13, 9,55 pin.) LONDON, September 13. “The Times’s” Shanghai correspondent says: Chinese counter offensives have, apparently, recovered ground that, was lost in the last Japanese attack. Both sides are exhausted after thirty hours of fighting, and have suspended operations in the Lotion sector, A superior number of Chinese forces have surrounded the Japanese forces between Lotien, Yangchang, Woosung, and Yangtsepoo, amid a network of muddy creeks, where every village is a natural fortress. CHINESE OFFICIAL MESSAGE. WELLINGTON, September 13. The Chinese Consul received the following cablegram:—Despite fierce Japanese onslaughts, the Chinese positions at rangtsepoo and Woosung areas continue unchanged yesterday. The most severe engagement took place at Jukong wharf. The Chinese recorded further gains at the Lotien sector, while Yuehpo continues in Chinese hands. An entire battalion of Chinese troops, defending Paoshan against overwhelming odds and devastating bombardment by Japanese warships and ’planes, fell on the seventh with the city. Only two or three wounded soldiers survived. It is now known that the Japanese concentrated gunfire from thirty warships, and used over twenty tanks and a number of 'planes, besides a large infantry force to capture the city, iti which the Chinese battalion held out for two days. A Chinese air force yesterday bombed the Japanese warships on Whangpoo River, and the Japanese air field at Yangtsepoo. About ten Japanese ’planes are believed to have been destroyed. Retaliating, the Japanese bombed Nantao, demolishing a large number of Chinese houses, and killing a considerable number of civilians.

MADAME KAI-SHEK BROADCASTS. fAus. & N.Z. Cable Assn.l NANKING, September 12. Madame Chiang Kai Shek, broadcasting, expressed bewilderment at the Western nations’ silence, and added: If the Western World deliberately abandons treaties, the Chinese, who for years have been stigmatised as cowards, will light until they win or are beaten to broken knees, even if their good earth is steeped wjtn blood, drenched by lire, and destroyed. "All treaties outlawing war or regulating its conduct, seem to have crumbled. We have a reversion to savagery. The Japanese militarists

are determined to wreck and eradicate all foreign influences in China. They must regard the Occidental reception of the situation as delightfully encouraging, deducing from it they have at least been able lo make a clean sweep of Western prestige. Massacres are bound to extend, because. Ihe Japanese have prepared aerodromes at. Shanghai. We depend on the wisdom and justice of nations lo save the world and China irom the consequences of daily Japanese falsehoods." Japanese Advance Further MORE REIN FO RG EM E N IS. [Aus. & N.Z. Cable Assn.J (Received September 13, 9.10 p.m.) SHANGHAI, September 13. New Japanese reinforcements have been landed at 1 Julio, al Paoshan and al Woosung. Their object is I lie retaking of Lotien. The Japanese, at dawn to-day, consolidated a twenty-mile line stretching along the Yangstc River lo Woosung. The Japanese have now penetrated seven miles inland. IN THE NORTH. PEKIN, September 12. The Japanese have re-opened the Nankow-Kalganr ailway, and repaired the tunnel which the retreating Chinese damaged. British missionaries have been advised to evacuate the Shini Province, owing to the Japanese invasion. The Chinese have withdrawn from Macha ng.

CHINA APPEALS 1U LEAGUE. GENEVA, September 12. The Chinese delegation, to-night, appealed to the League lo take immediate act ion to stop what I he delegation describes as Japan’s intolerable aggression in China. The delegation says that the Far Eastern crisis has developed into a World crisis. Japanese aggression is threatening not only China's independence and territorial integrity, but is menacing the general peace of the world. The delegation adds: We hope 'he United States will associate themselves with the League’s action in the future as in the past. Japan’s Wool Buying COMPETITION TO BE CUT OUT. [Aus. & N.Z. Cable Assn.] (Received September 13, 11.10 p.m.) TOKIO, September 13. The paper “Asahi” reports that under the new law for the control of trade, and industry, which will remain operative until one year after the end of the China conflict, M. Yoshino, the Minister of Commerce, is arranging a special syndicate lo deal with wool. The syndicate is comprised of Kanematsu’, Mitsu, Mitsubishi, Okura and lida firms. The purpose will bo the co-ordinating of the purchase of all Japan’s wool requirements. The paper’s correspondent adds: “Evidently, the foregoing concentra.< lion foreshadows a cessation of the inf ra-Japanese competition at the wool auctions.

JAPAN’S NEW WOOL POLICY. TOKIO. September 12. The leading economic magazine "Diamond,” says: The Government’s new wool policy is lending optimism, to the industry in Manchukuo, where it is planned to reach fifteen million sheep in thirty-live years, to supply one-third of Japan’s requirements, and to Japan, where sheep are increasingly rapidly, though there were only 61,000 in 1936. Meanwhile, it is expected that the Government will cut. wool imports by half, and insist on a mixture of twenty per cent, stable fibre and will raise the consumption tax on all wool fabrics.

AUSTRALIA'S TRADE WITH japan. I Aus. & N.Z. Cable Assn, I MELBOURNE, September 13, Revision of the trade agreement between Australia and Japan, with a possible reduction ot the amount of Japanese imports into Australia, will probably be considered by (he Federal Ministry this week, in view of Japan's failure to enter the wool market Inns far this season. To honour the agreement, Japan must buy from Australia half a million bale's before the end of June next year. (Received September 13, 11.40 p,m.) CANBERRA, September 13. The Minister ot Commerce, Doctor Earl Page, declared to-day that there was no foundation for the suggestion (cabled in the morning), that the Commonwealth Government may revise its trade agreement with Japan because that country is not at present operating at the local wool sales. TOKIO, September 11. The Olympic Games Committee denies that Japan is likely to abandon the holding of the Olympic Games.