CASUALTIES MOUNT.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 255, 25 September 1940, Page 7

CASUALTIES MOUNT.

FIGHTING IN INDO CHINA

BOMBING BY JAPANESE

HANOI, Sept. 24. lighting in indo-Lmna was still in progress this morning. Two Japanese pianos have been shot down. French women and children are being evacu ated from' the border areas.

A French communique issued in 'Haiphong says the French have suffered 60 casualties, a considerable number of which have been killed. The Japanese admit that a number of their troops have been killed. It is understood the Chinese have proclaimed martial law throughout the provinces of Yunnan and Ivwangsi, which border Indo-Cmna.

The Japanese made two daylight air raids on the strategic railway border town of Langson. 'they also resumed their shelling in the afternoon. Six Japanese planes twice concentrated bombs on the Langson airport and market-place. Fighting occurred in Langson.all the aiternoon. The Japanese planes which bombed Langson were apparently operating from an aircraftcarrier. A hospital train from the border arrived at Hanoi carrying more than 100 wounded. Bed Cross stations have been established throughout the city awaiting an emergency.* The army has commandeered motor-cars, Thi> French insist that.the Japanese are responsible for the border fighting, because Sunday’s agreement did not provide for the Canton army’s entry into Indo China, although it was admitted that the French agreed to dis cuss the question in the future. Commenting on Tokio’s announcement of a peaceful and friendly entry into Indo-China, officials said : “Anyone coming across the border in. the .middle of the night in combat formation and using arms is'hardly friendly.”

The Domei News Agency representative at the army base in South China reports that the Japanese captured 240 Indo-China troops, including several French officers, when they occupied a blockhouse near Dongdang. The French losses were 131 killed. The Japanese losses were very slight. TOKIO ATTITUDE.

The Tokio paper Yomiuri Shimbun says thd Japanese Government will reject unhesitatingly any third country’s protest against Japan’s entry into lndo Chip a because the Japanese in tentions are “extremely peaceful and constructive and, moreover, have been taken with the full understanding of the French Government.” The paper adds that some of the third Powers which had interfered in the negotiations from the outset were already showing a threatening attitude; and contending that the entry of the Japanese troops was an improper military action. VICHY EXCUSE.

At Vichy the Foreign Minister (M, Baudouin) stated that the granting by France to Japan of air bases in lndo China and the right of passage of 6000 troops was not an offensive action against China, but to cover the . possible Japanese evacuation from Canton France and Japan had signed a mili 1 tary agreement, and a commercial agreement was being negotiated. Japan would receive economic preference over all Powers.

“France hopes that the signature of the pact in which she recognises Japan’s dominating political and economic interests in the Far East w-ill prove the beginning of a loyal FrancoJapanese entente,” he added. The Axis Powers had not exerted pressure to secure the acceptance of the Japanese demands. France agreed to the concessions when Mr Cordell Hull told her that the United States realised the necessity for doing so. In Washington the State Department has categorically denied M. Baudouin’s statement that the United States had approved the French concessions to Japan in Indo-China. “This Government has not at any time or in any way approved the French concessions to Japan,” said a statement. “The attitude of this Government to the developments in IndoChina is as expressed by Mr Hull on the previous day.” CHINESE PREPARED.

“China had plenty of time to prepare for this eventuality, and our actions will proceed according to the prearranged plan ” declared a Chinese spokesman in Chungking, commenting on the lndo China agreement. It is estimated that 200,000 Chinese are massed along the border ready to resist any Japanese advance toward Kunming. Large-scale destruction of all communication facilities on the border b. at present progressing. Whole sections of the Indo-China railway inside Chinese territory are being removed. The evacuation of the Chinese population and Government institutions in

Kunming is being speeded up, as it is feared that the Japanese will resort to a severe aerial bombardment of the ill-defended city shortly from their newly-acquired air bases.