More Border Forays

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 745, 19 August 1929, Page 9

More Border Forays

SINO-RUSSIAN WAR MENACE

Chinese Suffer Casualties RED TROOPS DESCEND ON TOWN (United P.A.—By Telegraph — Copyright) (Australian and N.Z. Press Association • (United Service) Received 10.30 a.m. SHANGHAI, Sunday. WHILE reports that Russo-Chinese hostilities broke out in the week-end, dispatches indicate that irregulars on both, sides are showing considerable raiding activities, while both are unwilling to avert war. The Soviet is afraid of the entrance of White Russians into Siberia, where the peasantry are heart-and-soul Whites.

A raid by Soviet forces near Manebuli, 12 miles •within the Chinese border, resulted in a three hours’ battle. Twenty : seven Chinese were killed. The Chinese repulsed a cavalry raid. Mongols raided a Chinese town near Hailar and were eventually driven off. The Manchurians are preparing for an outbreak of major hostilities. Ten thousand Soviet troops descended on Jalanor, the fight lasting all day, and resulting in the Chinese losing 60 killed. The Russian losses are unknown. Reports continue to reach Shanghai of renewed hostilities between the Chinese and the Russians along various points of the border. Though the Chinese deny that activities are taking place on a large scale, they admit the invasions, meanwhile claiVng that the Chinese forces have been able to drive off the attackers. At a meeting at the office of the Commissioner of Foreign Affairs at Canton on Saturday it was stated that in view of the fact that the Sino-Russian situation has assumed a grave aspect, the Bureau of Aviation was preparing a scheme for the expansion of its aerial activities. A scheme was being drawn up for

the purchase of 100 machines from an American airplane company, including 20 each of fighting and attacking airplanes, 10 scouting, two bombing and 10 training airplanes, at a cost of 2,000,000 Hong-Kong dollars (about £200,000). The money is being raised partly by public subscription. China appears to be united in her intention to resist Russia at all costs.

WASHINGTON'S VIEW

DUBIOUS ABOUT GRAVITY OF BORDER FIGHTS {'Australian and N.Z. Press Association) WASHINGTON, Saturday. The State Department has received no information in reference to a dispatch from London to the effect that the Chinese Minister at Washington, Mr. C. C. Wu, is to notify the signatories of the Kellogg Pact that Russia has begun an offensive on the Manchurian border.

Mr. Wu today declined to discuss the situation. American officials 'are inclined to accept with some reserve the reports of serious clashes in Manchuria.