COING TO BERLIN

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 March 1941, Page 5

COING TO BERLIN

JAPANESE FOREIGN MINISTER VISITS TO ROME AND MOSCOW ALSO. PROBABLY LEAVING THIS WEEK. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) BERLIN, March 8. The German news agency, D.N.8.. says that the Japanese Foreign Minister, Mr. Matsuoka, is shortly visiting Berlin at the invitation of the German Government, after which he will go to Rome. A Tokio message says informed circles consider that Mr. Matsuoka will probably leave in the middle of next week for Berlin, Rome and Moscow, for talks bearing on collaboration in the Tripartite Pact.

JAPANESE DRIVE CHINESE OFFERING VIGOROUS RESISTANCE. BEYOND RANGE OF NAVAL GUNS. HONG KONG, March 8. Chinese troops were reported today to be offering vigorous resistance to Japanese forces attempting to drive inland after landings on the Kwangtung coast on Monday. Chinese dispatches said the landings were not contested, because Chinese strategy all along had been to withdraw beyond range of Japanese naval bombardments before making a stand. They said the coast was practically undefended to a depth of 15 miles, and added that foreign interests had been hit hard by Japanese landings, since many towns occupied were entry ports for trade with Shanghai and Hong King. For example considerable quantities of goods were previously shipped to Hong Kong from Yeungkong and Kwanghoi for export to the United States. According to a Shanghai message Japanese military authorities claimed tonight that their offensive in the northern Hepeh province during the last three weeks had cost the Chinese 3000 dead, as against 28 Japanese dead and 85 wounded. The Chungking National People's Council yesterday made a gesture aimed at ending the split between Chinese Communists and General Chiang Kai-Shek. The Communist delegates to the council were asked to attend the meetings again so that all political problems may be settled to the interests of future war resistance.