“ABSOLUTE MINIMUM”

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 August 1939, Page 5

“ABSOLUTE MINIMUM”

JAPANESE DEMANDS AT TOKIO

ACCORDING TO ARMY DELEGATE.

HECTORING ADVICE TO BRITAIN

By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Received This Dav. 9.10 a.m.) TOKIO, August 14. Major-General Muto, the principal -Japanese Army delegate to the Tokio conference. in a statement, said I lie -Japanese demands were 1 an absolute minimum. He paid a tribute to Sir Robert Craigic’s efforts, but declared t hat Britain had failed to understand the Far Eastern situation and must recognise realities if she desired Io safeguard her interests and reflect on her own conduct il she desired the ant i-Brit ish campaign to end. ARMOURED CARS PATROLLING THE TIENTSIN CONCESSION. IN VIEW OF ANTI-BRITISH CAMPAIGN. (Received This Day. 9.10 a.m.) TIENTSIN. August 14. Armoured cars are patrolling the British Concession in view of the start of an intensive anti-British campaign. ACCUSED CHINESE SURRENDER CRITICISED IN LONDON. LIBERAL PAPER OUTSPOKEN LONDON, August 13. The ‘'News-Chronicle’’ (Liberal)' in a leader states that Parliament, if it were sitting, would have said hard words about the cowardly decision to hand over the four Chinese prisoners at Tientsin, which- has entirely failed to improve the relations between Japan and Britain. If the Chinese are handed over, it states, their lives wilt be thrown away. The “Daily Telegraph” (Independent Conservative), in a leader, does not foresee an early satisfactory outcome of the Tientsin negotiations, but advocates their continuance in the hope that Japan will restore order in occupied areas. LIEUT.COL. SPEAR VISIT BY BRITISH OFFICIAL. REPORT OF GOOD HEALTH DENIED. (Received This Day, 9.10 a.m.) SHANGHAI, August 14. Mr Gerald Parker, military language officer at Tokio, is visiting Lieut-Col-onel Spear, in order to ascertain the conditions of his confinement. A message from Peking states that an Embassy doctor says Lieutenant Colonel Spear complained in his last letter that, he was suffering from fever and denied the official Japanese reports of his good health. Lieutenant-Colonel Spear, a British military attache, was arrested by the Japanese at Kalgan in June last, and has since been detained in spite of strong British protests. CHINESE CHEERS JAPANESE SEARCHERS PUT TO FLIGHT. APPEARANCE OF ARMOURED CARS. (Received This Day, 9.50 a.m.) TIENTSIN. August 14. The appearance of two British armoured cars caused Japanese soldiers, who were illegally searching a Chinese junk moored at a British wharf, to take to their heels, while a Chinese crowd cheered. DELEGATES DEPART THREAT TO INTENSIFY BLOCKADE. TOKIO. August 14. The Japanese military representatives from Tientsin left Tokio by air. stating that there was no justification for the further delay in the talks and that the blockade would be strengthened unless Britain changed her policy. MOB VIOLENCE ATTACK ON TOBACCO FACTORY. (Received This Day. 9.10 a.m.) TSINGTAO. August 14. An anti-British mob attacked a Brit-ish-American tobacco plant at Jtu and damaged furniture and windows.