EVENTS AT KULANGSU

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 May 1939, Page 5

EVENTS AT KULANGSU

LANDING OF MARINES ATTITUDE OF THE UNITED STATES. REJECTION OF JAPANESE DEMANDS. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. ' LONDON. May 18. The Admiralty today confirmed reports that 42 British marines were landed on Kulangsu island yesterday, also that 42 French marines were landed. The Shanghai correspondent of “The Times” says that reports from Japanese sources allege that, following Britain’s demand for the withdrawal of the Japanese forces from Kulangsu. the Japanese patrols, after making a number of arrests in the settlement, were reduced to 40 marines. It is inferred that the British and American naval authorities were dissatisfied with this and decided to take parallel action for the protection of British and American interests. Meanwhile, the Washington correspondent of the United Press states that the United States delivered a Note to Japan refusing to meet the latter’s demands for revision of the land regulations in the Shanghai International. Settlement pending “the development of more stable conditions.” It is further indicated in New York that the United States is prepared to defend by force if necessary American interests in other sections of the Chinese war zone.

Referring to the landing of troops, the Washington correspondent of the "New York Times” states that the Japanese challenge to the status of international settlements in China was met by the landing of British and American troops at Kulangsu, and the dispatch of a strongly-worded American Note. The Japanese move is considered to be a thinly-veiled effort to take over the Shanghai settlement. Britain is also expected to send a strong Note of protest to Japan, so that the combined diplomatic and naval moves have assumed the appearance of a joint front by Britain and America in circumstances where their interests are parallel, if not largely identical.

AMERICAN NOTE SHANGHAI SETTLEMENT DISPUTE. OBJECTION TO JAPANESE POLICY. WASHINGTON, May 17. The United States’ Note to Japan concerning the Shanghai International Settlement states: “Reference is made to an aide memoire containing an affirmation that the existing administrative structure and land regulations in the International Settlement at Shanghai is in many respects ill-adapted for dealing with the factors of a situation which has been steadily evolving during the past 70 years and more and which has undergone a radical change in more recent times.

“The United States would be ready to become a party to friendly and orderly negotiations, properly instituted and conducted, regarding any needed revision.

“The United States is constrained to' point out, however, that the conditions in the Shanghai area are, from its view-point, so far from normal at the present time that there is totally lacking a basis for discussion looking toward an orderly settlement of the complicated problems involved which would be reasonably fair to all concerned.”

VOTES AND TAXATION.

The Note points out that ,the Japanese community enjoys an increasingly large and more important vote in the municipal elections, and that its vote is in fact far greater in proportion to the total vote than the proportion which the general municipal rates and land taxes paid by the Japanese community bear to the total municipal rates and land taxes. The ’Note stresses the point that the Administration of the International Settlement has, throughout the Settlement's history, effected many adjustments to meet changing conditions, and the United States is confident, that the “authorities of the Settlement will continue to. make every effort to adjust the administrative machinery of the Settlement and the practices thereof to meet the fair and reasonable desires of Japan and of Japanese interests.”

SETTLEMENT AUTHORITIES.

The Note deprecates the Japanese request for closer co-operation between the Settlement authorities and the regimes which exist in the lower Yangtse valley with Japanese military support and insists that the Settlement authorities are making every effort to deal with the realities of a very difficult situation.

"The Government of the United States feels that these authorities are entitled to expect every consideration from the Japanese civil and military agencies. No one Power having interests in the Settlement, however extensive they may be, should take advantage of developments which have their origin elsewhere to prejudice the international character of the Settlement.” The Note stresses the authorities’ efforts to perform their normal functions which "recently have been seriously handicapped and rendered more difficult by lawless activities in areas contiguous to the International Settlement and by the refusal of the Japanese military forces to return to the Settlement area lying north of Soochow Creek.

“The Government of the United States urges upon the Japanese Government the consideration that the smooth working of the administrative machinery would be promoted by a prompt restoration to those authorities of complete control over the settlement area extending north of Soochow I Creek.”

The Note concludes by urging that the revision of land regulations "should await the development of more stable conditions.” JAPAN’S ACTION “MERELY FOR PROTECTION OF NATIONALS.” TOKIO, May 18. The Foreign Under-Secretary, Mr Sawada. assured the British Ambassador, Sir Robert Craigie, today that the landing at Kulangsu was merely for the protection of Japanese nationals. The marines would gradually be withdrawn. The naval spokesman expressed the

opinion that the landing of foreign marines was unnecessary. He deprecated the assertion that the Japanese landing was in the nature of an ultimatum to the Settlement Council. JAPANESE ACTION. ALL MARINES WITHDRAWN. (Received This Day, 9.5 a.m.) HONG KONG. May 18. The Japanese report that all Japanese marines have been withdrawn from Kulangsu Island.