CRUSHING BLOW

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 197, 6 September 1937, Page 7

CRUSHING BLOW

— Press Assn.-

. — 9 Japanese Threat CHINESE "HOSTILITY" Warships Extend Blockade of The Coast

RESISTING SHIP SUNK

(By Telegraph-

— CoDyrigbt. )

(Received 6, 10.40 a.m.) TOKIO, Sept. 5. The Premier, Prince Ivonoye, told the Diet that Japan's action •vvas not divected against the Chincse people but agailist the Government and its armies. "The only measure Japan can adopt," he said, "is to adminis! a crushing blow to the Ghinese Arrny and mahe it completely lose the will to fight. If China fails to realise her mistakes and pcrsists in hcr resistance, Japan is prepared for protracted hostilities. " In opening the Diet. tlie Emperor cleeiarcd that Japan was solicitous of the attainmcnt of peace hy nrutual co-opcr-ation in China, which t'ailcd to undp.rstand Japan 's tru-e intentions. Her troops only intendcd to persuade China to reeonsidor her attitudc snd rc-estab-lish pcaoe. A suppiementary Budget nicrease.s the current expenditure to £321,000,000 and brings the bond issue f°r the same pcriod to £200,000,000. In other words. the national debt has been increascd by onc-third within six months. Financial circles are asking how long hostilities will last. and fear that the erescendo of expenditure will lead to disastcr. lt is officially announced that Japan has extonded the blockade of Chinese vessels to tlie whole. coast from Ching-

wangtao to tho border of French J.ndoChiria, excluding the Tsingtau territories leased to other Powers. The Doniei News Agency says that a Japanese warship ordered a Chinese vessel in the blockadcd area to heavato. The warship sent a boat to inspect the Chinese vessel, which fired on it, wounding a lieutenant and killing a seaman. The warship then fired on and sank the Chinese boat. The Japanese Press increasingly charges Britain with encouraging Chinese resistance. One leading publicist says: "It is an Anglo- Japanese and not a Sino-Japanese war. it is absurd to counsel care not to alienate British sympatky. ' ' Meanwhile militarists and businessmen are urgiug the strongthening of the Geripano- Japanese anti-Communist pact„