LINE CRUMBLES

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 50, 22 November 1937, Page 7

LINE CRUMBLES

-Prpse AbbU.-

Chinese Resistance SOOCHOW CAPTURED Rome Suggests Overtures for Peace JAPAN'S SUGGESTED TERMS

(By TolegraDb-

-Cooyrigbt.1

(Received 22, 8.45 a.m.) SHANGHAI, Nov. 20. The earlier claim that the centre of tho advancing Japanese screen has entered Soochow is confirmed. It is believed that it portends the crumhling of , the Chinese Hindenburg line. The Japanese claim that they have completed the capture of Kashing and have also captured Nanziang, on the south shore of Lake Taihu. From Nanking it is officially announced that the seat of Government has been transferred to Chungkiang. An accompanying. proclamation says that China stands firm against coercion and the acceptance of humiliating terms, which are the purpose of tho Japanese advance westwards. Five hundred mutineers in the North eastern Army have been execute.d. Tokio announces that Imperial headquarters has heen established with the object of plaeing the general staffs on a war footing for full-scale operation^. It is declared that this is not a -prc ^ cursor to the formal declaration of war. A Rome message says: A higli-placed official reveals that an official Chinese mission headed hy Mr Chen Kuo Fn hag gone to Brussels after discouraging interviews with Signor Mussolini and Count Ciano, at which the mission sought a more impartial Italian attitude towards China. Instead, Signor Mussolini suggested that China was unable to resist the overwhelming Japanese strength and counselled Italian and German mediation, in _which the conditions would bo Chinese recognition of Manchukuo and frn independent North China. According to a Tokio message, the Italian Ambassador in China called on General Matsui, who was warmly appreciative of Italy's goodwill to the Japanese army. The Ambassador suggested Italy should fight hand-in-hand with Japan for the sake of the antiComintern front. The Daily Telegraph 's Tokio - correspondent states that Japan has already planned China's political future.. The chief feature will be a federation of States under a central Government with Peiping as the capital. Foreign policy, Customs, taxation and defenco would be under Japanese advisorship.The Chinese afmy would be abolishod and replaced by peace-preservation corps.