CHINESE TURMOIL.

Hokitika Guardian, 23 May 1928, Page 3

CHINESE TURMOIL.

CHANG’S OVERTURES FAIL. MAJOR BATTLE DEVELOPING. (United Service.) (Received this day at 12.25 p.m.) TOKIO, May 22. Negotiations between Changtsolin and the Japanese Legation pending for Chang’s orderly withdrawal, into Manchuria, appear to have broken down, the Foreign Office here stating Chang’s agent approached Minister Yoxhizawa at .Peking on Tuesday night, with a proposal that Northerners would immediately withdraw into Manchuria, provided Japan would stop the Nationalist advance on Peking and guarantee the Peking-Ticnt-sin area would not be allowed to fall under Nationalist control.

Yosliizawa refused, declaring such a step would be a violation of neutrality.

Chang’s desire is apparently for a sort of buffer state for the PekiugTientsin area, which would be between the Nationalist domain arid the Manchuria .War Office. Advices substantiate this nndy'.K declaring the major battle is already developing between Southern and Noi - them forces, with the preliminary fighting, now under way, between Siiangsi army, which is part of the I Southern attacking force and Northern troops. ' The War Office states about two hundred thousand Northern forces arc opposing two hundred and twenty thousand attacking Southerners, along a line from Nankon Puss aht> uml Peking. through Patotingfi and Tangchmv, which is about sixty miles southward of ’I ientsin.

DOUBLE BOYCOTT. SHANGHAI, May 22,

Japanese merchants having decided a retaliation for the Chinese boycott, yesterday decided to refrain from puieliasing Chinese export goods until the boycott is lifted.