TRADE PACT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 4 November 1938, Page 5

TRADE PACT

ANGLO-AMERICAN DISCUSSION. SAID TO BE IN FINAL STAGES. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. NEW YORK, November 3. The Washington correspondent of the “New York Herald Tribune” says that the Anglo-American trade agreement is in the- final stage of negotiation and completion may be reached in a fortnight. It is understood that one -of the most controversial issues, namely, automobiles, is being satisfactorily worked out. The United States asked Britain to bind or freeze its present rates on American automobiles, with the exception of low-horsepower vehicles, thus enabling British tariff rises against small German cars whose competition is particularly feared by Britain, whereas the larger American cars for the greater part are not competitive.

JAPANESE AIMS. READY TO ACCEPT CHINESE CO-OPERATION.

TOKIO, November 3. The Foreign Office spokesman said today that, if the Chinese Central Government would repudiate its past policy and remould its personnel, Japan would not reject its co-operation in establishing peace and stability in eastern Asia. He pointed out that this could be secured by Japan, Manchukuo, and China combining in a political, economic and cultural bloc. The establishment of such unity was the fundar mental aim of the present “unofficial W JIe added that Japan was confident that other Powers would adapt their attitudes to the new conditions in East Asia. CHINA DEFIANT WILL RESIST TILL JAPAN COLLAPSES. DECLARATION BY OFFICIAL SPOKESMAN. (Received This Day, 11.0 a.m.) CHUNGKING, November 3. “Japan may seize all our seaports and disrupt our traffic arteries, but we shall resist until she collapses from sheer exhaustion,” declared a Foreign Office spokesman, replying to the Japanese policy statement regarding an Asiatic bloc, < which he said “typified Japanese military swagger and spiritual bravado, gravely insulted Chinese intelligence and hardened determination to maintain the bitter struggle.” The spokesman denied that the Chinese National Government was a mere local administration. It controlled three-fourths of the territory oehind the Chinese lines. China would resist political co-operation which sacrificed her independence and attempts to force her into economic co-opera-iion plundering her resources or cultural co-operat or! imposing slavish education and transforming the future veneration ■ into cannon-fodder ioi further Japanese expansion. Chinese troops have gamed the upper hand in North Shansi, where they ambushed two hundred Japanese at Kwanlung and killed one hundred. They then killed ten officers and JOI) men of reinforcements.