CHINESE STAND

Hokitika Guardian, 9 March 1933, Page 5

CHINESE STAND

TOWN RECAPTURED

MILTiARY POSITION UNCHANGED

(United Press Association—By T.ectric Telegraph—Copyright)

SHANGHAI, March 8

Chinese official -reports state Marsha] Chang Hsueh Liang's troops have recaptured Lengkon on the Great Wail near Shanbaikuan. At Kupeikow the Chinese have dug in on heights to the best advantage possible, apparently intending a last fight before that frontier town, which was bombed by the Japanese to-day without any appreciable damage. Food .supplies continue going up from Kupeikow to the soldiers still in u-enoi, but it is not believed that a lasi, will affect the present military position.

CHANG ASKS TO' BE RELIEVED

UNFIT FOR COMMAND OF ARMY

■SHANGHAI, March 8

A Peking official communique announces Marshal Chang Ht3ueh Lining has telegraphed to Nanking requesting to be relieved -of all (his official posts. He added; “The fall of J&hol has still more, My death would b. & no admand, During tb 0 past month I huve met many difficulties, Unexpected developments occurred.'.; if i; T remain in office one mor e day, : I SHI! be blamed istill more. My death would be no Buvantagg, to the Government, nor would it improve the situation. Tncretoro, 1 •ask the Government to allow me to resign as a sign 0 f its .dissatisfaction and appoint a capable successor.

JAP AERODROMES IN BORNEO

HOLLAND REFUSES PEACE PACT

LONDON, March 8

Th e “Daily Herald” states : M. Mat-suoka’s request for a non-aggres-sion pact with Holland regarding the Dutch East Indies, which was cabled on February 28, !has been abandoned This is becaus, e . the . Japanese had sought .to obtain concessions in 'Dutch New Guinea.

The Dutc.h aviators have already Spotted disguised aerodrome,? in the Japanese rubber concessions in Borneo, so the Dutch were suspicious and they declined the Japanese offer.

The “Daily Herald” emph siises that concessions are on the .road to Australia. SOVIET BARRED FROM LEAGUE. . MOSCOW, March 8. The Soviet has been refused membership of th, s 'League of Nations Committee that i,s dealing ~with the SinoJapanese dispute, because it is desirous of maintaining * strict neutrality, though wishing t<> ensure peace in the Far East. JAPAN DENIES STATEMENT. (Received March 9 at 10.25 a.m.)..... LONDON, March 8. The Japanese embassy describes as groundless the “Daily Herald’s” report that M. Matsu oka had abandoned his visit to Holland. Dutch Airlines officials said that the story Jhat the Dutch aviators had “spotted” concealed aerodromes on Japanese rubber concessions in Borneo wag probably a fantastic invention of an imaginative journalist.,

THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA

KEEPING OUT THE INVADER

The Great Wall cf China, near where fighting has been taking plac.e ; between Japanese and Chinese forces, is one of the seven wonders of the world'. It was built. 200 years before the birth of Christ by Shi Hwang-ti, ’the first emperor.

Thy Chinese then were famed for their advanced state of civilisation,. They had progressed so far that they became tlie envy of the barbarians beyond their frontier.

The emperor saw the danger signal, and decided to build the great unclimbable wall frem the sea to the furthest western corner of his empire. He assembled 300,000 workmen, and forced them to work night and day to build the giant barrier against invasion.

The workmen toiled unceasingly for 15 years. The emperor bad tlie foundations built of granite, and into the wall, made of boulders and burnt brick, he threw the bodies of 1,000,000 of his subjects “to make it strong.” He built 25,000 towers and 15,000 watch towers, which he> manned with a newly-recruited army. Many of the towers to-day are being used for their original purpose—to keep out the invader. The wall is 25ft wide, and erases mountains more than a mile high. It begins 200 miles east of Peking, on the coast of the gulf of Lao-tung, and stretches westward to the edge of the Gobi Desert. The giant barrier varies from 30ft to 00ft in height, and has massive parapets on each sale.