EASTERN CRISIS

Hokitika Guardian, 18 January 1933, Page 5

EASTERN CRISIS

CHINESE TROOPS

ORDERED TO OPPOSE THE JAPS.

(United Press Association- -By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.)

•"SHANGHAI, January 17

Against the anticipated Japanese onslaught on the province of Jehol, Tangyuliu, the Chinese Governor ol Jehol, has ordered a big sword band, consisting of thirty thousand troops, to commence an offensive -across the Jehol border in the direction of the Tungliao station, on the PekingMukden railway.

It is exjieo'ted that! .fighting will commence in earnest in the near future.

The Chinese will endeavour to cut the Japanese Shanhaikuan communications.

The Japanese civilians in Tungliao ar*( preparing to take refuge in the Japanese Consulate, and the Japanese barracks and gendarmerie headquarters.

LEACUE CONSIDERS POSITION.

JAPAN REJECTS RESOLUTION

RUGBY, January 16. The League of Nations Committee to consider the Sino-Japanese dispute over Manchuria met at Geneva to-day, and adjourned till Wednesday, after what! is believed to have been an inconclusive session. The next meeting will be held in private and the principal business, it is understood, will be the receipt of the report by the sub-committee. The resolution drafted by this sub-com-mittee on December 20tli, has been re-

jected by the Japanese delegation, and met little favour from China. However, negotiations proceeded, and

modifications were made in the resolution.

As the result of new methods and conciliation, which have been examin-

ed within the last few*, days, a new formula has been desptaclied to Tokio and Nanking. It is considered that the views of the two Governments are

likely to be received in time f-r today’s meeting, which, in their absence, would probably be of a formal character.

THE COMMITTEE OF NINETEEN

STORMY SESSION AT GENEVA

GENEVA, January 17

There was a stormy secret meeting of the Committee of Nineteen in' consequence of the revelation that the latest conciliation formula wits drafted by the Japanese delegates, siiid not by Sir Eric Drummond, secretary of tilt! League, The Chinese delegate, Dr Yen, expressed the opinion that th League lmd exceeded its function when Sir Eric Drummond hadi tried to get the Japanese into line without consulting the Chinese Ministers. Sir Eric Drummond exlpains that he only gave his advice to the Japanese delegates as , the Secretary-General of the League. As a matter of fact, he says, Tokyo did not see eye to eye with its delegates at Geneva, and the conciliation formula had been rejected by both China and Japan. The Committee of Nineteen decided to wait for forty-eight hours for a statement from the Tokyo Government before abandoning its efforts to effect conciliation and drafting its report. Presumably, this report will include recommendations in accord- - anco with Article Ft teen of the Lea-

gue Covenant. The Committee’s decision followed the Chinese delegate Yen’s letter protesting at the reported modification of the draft of the committee’s) resolution and that the committee allegedly suggested a compromise formula to the Japanese.

Sir Eric Drummond explained that he had listened to the Japanese proposal as he AA'ould have i istoned: that of any member of the League. He added that the committee’s report would mark the ultimate stage of the League of Nations’ action short of having recourse to the sanctions. Tt is understood that Sir John Simon ('British Foreign Secretary) is resoonsible for a paragraph in a letter sent to Mr Yen stating that the committee of Nineteen did not propose Avaiting indefinitely before proceeding to the next stage under Article Fifteen.