HOSTILITIES END

Hokitika Guardian, 5 March 1932, Page 5

HOSTILITIES END

LEAGUE COMPLEXITIES. TRIBUTE TO BRITISH EFFORT. (United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) LONDON, March 4. The House of Commons paid a tribute to the efforts of the British representatives at Shanghai, and Sir Johii Simon at Geneva, for their peace efforts, and cheered the reference by Captain Eden to the “welcome, invaluable co-operation hv the United States with the Powers represented on the League Council. At this evening’s Assembly meeting ])r Yen, in declaring that the armistice negotiations had broken down, attributed this to the failure oF the Japanese to carry out the proposals agreed upon at the meeting»in Sir Howard Kelly’s flagship on February 28th. The Chinese trocps had been withdrawn on , the strength of that agreement. He read the terms of the Japanese reply, dated to-day, which set out conditions imposing the terms of *a conqueror, which China would not accept. He appealed to the Assembly to estnb’ish an armistice, in conformity with the terms reached aboard the British flagship, and in continuity with the spirit of the League Covenant.

Mr Matsurdirn (Japan), having read the terms of the telegram, ordering flit Japanese troops to cease fighHtljg, contended that his country was justified in every action taken during the For Eastern troble He again declared that she harboured no territorial designs.

JAPANESE REGRETS.AT AMERICAN ANTAGONISM. TOKTO, March 4 Officials regretfully note tbe antiJapanese movement in America organised hv Mr Chester Powell and others, disturbing the amity between Japan and America, and tendnig further to inflame Japanese public opinion, which -is already sensitive to American antagonism. The Government is therefore taking precautions to prevent reactionary reprisals. Th police guard at the American Embassy has been doubled. HOPED PURELY LOCAL. CHINESE RE-ATTACK. < TOIvTO, March 4. Tokio deplores the news of the »e----ooening of hostilities. After “cease fire” had been ordered the Chinese reattacked this ny>rning. Th details are anxiously awaited, but it,is hoped to be purely local, and will not develop further fighting.

RETURN OF REFUGEES, HOMES-FOUND IN RUINS, (Received this dnv fit ff. 25 » ni) SHANGHAI, March 4. There was a regular stampede here this morning, cm the occasion of the return of refugees in thousands. Foreigners and Chinese are using every available conveyance, and have commenced the trek to Hongkew. The Dixwell Road areas is a problem actually greater than the evacuation. Even-one is endeavouring to enter the originally prohibited zones at the same time. Traffic in every road is jammed. Although the fighting is officially cancelled, there are still slight skirmises considerable distance from Shanghai. Chinese and Japanese in the vicinity of the twenty-kilometre zone are playing hide-and-seek along the Japanese main defence lines, though the main body of Chinese are concentrated at Quinsed. There were heartrending scenes when the advance party of Chinese refugees returned to the northern district, finding nothing except ruins, where their homes once stood.

Chapei is still closed, and under military control, but the municipal authorities are devising a system of policing to permit the Japs to return to their basis. Parts of Chapei are vstill in flames, and probably it will require dynamiting to prevent a spread. The Japanese Consulate advises that fresh Japanese troops are'being sent to relieve those which participated in hostilities, also to assist in the reconstruction of the devastated regions, pending a satisfactory outcome to the peace conference.

CHINESE ACTIONS. 'Received this dnv at 9.25 a.ml SHANGHAI, March 4. No definite steps were taken locally to-day to further the peace movement, though negotiations are continuing for the purpose of summoning a round table conference. The greatest difficulty in the way of peace consists iff a refusal by Cantonese troops to 'accept anv terms arranged by Nanking Government which is described as not representative of the whole of China and without credit. A war bulletin issued at Nanking •states a body of Chinese troops consisting of twenty thousand Fongyubfciang men landed at Liuho and captured porjtic is from the Japanese. Shanghai authorities have much trouble controlling crowds of Chinese, who either believing the Chinese h;ul won a vie to; y or because they wished to create a panic, .startled the inhabitants by a great cracker firing il.rmmstrn.tinn over the oitv. Ultimately volunteers assisted to restore order.