ZERO HOUR

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 211, 22 September 1937, Page 5

ZERO HOUR

PreF# Assn.-

Nanking Suspense

THREATENED AIRRAID Defences Manned; Shelters Prepared CANTON HEAVILY BOMBED

(By Telesraph—

-Copyright.)

(Received 22, 10.40 - a.m.) NANKING, Sept. 21. A grey, overcast day passed without ihe colossal air raid on Nanking occurring. "Wie may prefer to keep the eapitat in suspense." This wai the Japanese epokesmfin 'a quizzical reply to a query as to when the threatened bperation* would begin. AU but 17 of tke American Tesidents, |k inclnding tke Ambassador, Mr Nelson » Jeknson, have gone up-stream. Mr Joknson jsaid that tkey were too unheppy to speak. "It is tke firsi time in 30 yeara tkat I kave been torcOd. to leave my poBt under Washington 's instructions," he saJd. The members of tke Italian Embassy kave also left, but all tke members of tke other Embassics are remaining. Meanwkile all anti-aircraft guns are a being manned, and cellars and othflo shelters are being prepared# Many of ' tke nativve populaee kaye repaired to these refuges, earrying emergency ra« tions witk tkem. A message frout Canton says tkat j apanese aeropianes twice swept tke ■ city, raining bombs for a period lasting two kours. Chinese arOplanem tackled tke raiders. 1 Tke Shamneen Gate was closed in order to prevent tke Gkinese stampediajg; into tke European quarter. It is believed tkat conBiderable pro— perty damage and loss of life waa caused in tke Ckinese quarter. "While tka state of apprekension at Nanking kas led to tke fligkt of many Ckinese residents, a deeisive test of ■trength becomes mote imminent in Nortk Ckina, as tke Japanese are prepsring a further drive against tke Pinghan and Tsinpu. railway zones. Their successes kitkerto kav© been gained in tke face of lightly-armed troOpg. Tke complexion of affairs may , alter when Nanking, wkick apparently i$ not ao poorly equipped as tke invad6Tb koped, throws in aeropianes, tanka, and keavy guns. Tke Japanese at Pingkan tkreaten Padtingfu, which, in common witk other Gkinese centres, tkey kave heavily bombed, besides occupying Sushji. Tke Japanese explain that bad weather kas prevented the bombing of Nanking, but tke postponement is pos-. sibly due to the Japanese willingness to give tke civiiiaus time to dig them■elves in Or seek less dangerous iocations. Tke Chinese claim tkat six Japanese planes were brougkt down during the raid on Canton, wkile Macao xepOfti tkat 13 again passed seaward afteX rfruitlessly bombing aerodromes. The Portuguese are teinforcing Macao witk colonial troops. "I will not be pusked back and forth by tke Japanese commanders. Tkey cannot otder me about. I am not leaving," was tke reply H0rr Oskar Trautmann, German Ambassador to Nanking, to the japanese demand td remove German nationals, Germany 's attitude in this respect is similar to Britain's.' Tke Japanese offensive on tke Skangkai front kas been confined to a navaH bombatdmenfe and skells from land batteries in. order to straighten tke lines pfeparatory to a furtker advance and to prevent tke Gkinese from bringing *p tkeir keavy guns by railway.