FURY IN JAPAN

Wairarapa Times-Age, 18 October 1940, Page 5

FURY IN JAPAN

OVER REOPENING OF BURMA ROAD NEWSPAPERS DEMANDING STERN ACTION. THREAT OF EARLY AIR ATTACK. The Burma Road, China’s vital link with the outside world, is now re-opened ( a 8.8,C. broadcast states. All day 5,000 labourers were engaged in loading Chinese lorries with supplies. The re-opening of the road is reported under big headlines in the Japanese papers, which are demanding stern action by the Japanese Government. In one quarter it was stated that Japanese aeroplanes would bomb the Chinese section of the road today, weather permitting. SUPPLIES FOR CHINA LARGELY FROM UNITED STATES. STEADY FLOW OF TRAFFIC AIMED AT. (By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright I LONDON, October 16. Reports from Shanghai say that the Chinese Government is eagerly awaiting the re-o'pening of the Burma Road. Loaded trucks are waiting at the British end of the road, but it is not expected that any considerable number will take the road at the same time. In fact, the Chinese will probably avoid any large concentration of trucks at any point because of possible Japanese bombing. The main Chinese interest is in a steady bow of traffic in and out of China. A Reuter correspondent says that large quantities of material to be used in the reconstruction of Chungking have arrived in Burma. The road is now in good condition, the rains have stopped, and moonlight will help the truck-drivers. The Chinese Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs, who arrived today at Rangoon, said that China’s war needs were being supplied by the United States, but Britain was helping as far as possible. The Dome! (Japanese) news agency says that Japanese forces are to remain in northern Indo-China “because of Chinese military pressure.” From Hanoi it is reported that Ma-jor-General Raishiro Sumita, Japanese military commander in Indo-China, declared that Japan is resolutely determined to prevent United States and other war materials from reaching the Chinese. He indicated that warplanes would do their utmost to strike a fatal blow at the Burma Road, but attacks could be expected only after supplies had entered Chinese territory. BRITISH POLICY POSITION AT HONG KONG. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 9.50 a.m.) RUGBY, October 17. The three months period of operation of the agreement with Japan, for the closing of the Burma Road for passage of arms and supplies to China, expires at midnight and as the understanding was that the period would be used for exploring a meqns of reaching a peaceful settlement of hostilities with China and, as this has not been fulfilled, the road now reopens for traffic. - With regard to the route by which supplies formerly reached China, via Hong Kong an assurance was given Japan at the time of the conclusion of the Burma Road agreement, that the decision for its closure, taken by the Governor of Hong Kong many months earlier, would be respected. This assurance lapses with the Burma Road agreement. In fact, owing to the dispositions of the Japanese land sea forces the Hong Kong road is now of little practical importance, but the assurance referred to having lapsed, the obligation regarding its closure is removed and it remains for the Governor' of Hong Kong to decide, in light of local circumstances, whether it should be reopened. JAPANESE GOODS WAITING WITH THE REST. (Received This Day, 9.40 a.m.) I LASHIO, October 17. Chinese crews have manned and fuelled 2,000 motor vans, to start the flow of supplies talong China’s lifeline shortly after midnight, when Britain will reopen the Burma Road. The bombing of the Chinese sections of the road by Japanese planes based on Indo-China is taken for granted, although Japanese manufactured goods will be among the accumulated supplies entering China. Japanese business men, throughout the war and until July, conducted a substantial trade in the unoccupied. areas of China, utilising Chinese trade marks. Most of the Japanese trade in “Free China” is conducted through Shanghai, from which place large stocks, especially textiles, were transhipped to Burma and are awaiting the reopening of the highway. • ' 1 > JAPANESE BLUSTER NAVAL CAPTAIN’S REFERENCE TO HONG KONG. (Received This Day, 10 a.m.) HANOI, October 17. Captain K. Chudo, a member of the Japanese naval mission, said Japanese planes would bomb the Chinese side of the Burma Road on October 18, weather permitting. He expressed the opinion that Japan would not attack Hong Kong because: “Hong Kong is like a rotten apple. There is no use in shaking a tree when we know the rotten apples will drop.’ He also said that air bases were still the navy’s main concern in Indo-China and expressed the opinion that the latter country would grant naval bases if Japan requested them,” because the Vichy Government is under Hitler's Government, with which Japan is allied.”