SOUTHWARD PUSH

Waikato Times, Volume 128, Issue 21363, 6 March 1941, Page 8

SOUTHWARD PUSH

: 100 JAPANESE WARSHIPS CHINESE SINK SHIP i REQUEST TO VICHY (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) SHANGHAI, March 5 The Shunpao’s correspondent at ! Foochow reports that 100 Japanese 1 warships reached the coast of the Fukien Province, which is immediately south of the Chekiang Pro- ; vmce, on Monday and Tuesday. Some continued southward. The opinion is expressed that the Japanese Navy is starting its southward push. Other Chinese press reports say that 13 Japanese warships were seen moving southward along the Che- j kiang coast on Monday, arriving in i the vicinity of Chinchai in the morn- I ing and sailing again in the after- j noon to the Chousan Islands. The Shunpao said Chinese shore batteries sank a Japanese warship on February 27 when an attempt was made to effect a landing in the Chekiang Province. The Japanese southern expeditionary headquarters announced that forces landed on Monday in six places on the south-western Kwangtung coast for the purpose of cutting one of the few remaining overland routes to free China. Japan is reported to have asxed Vichy to submit a reply to the mediation proposals in the Indo-China dispute by noon today. MASSING OF TROOPS NAVAL AND AIR BASES DICTATORS HELP JAPAN (United Press Assn. —tiec. Tel. Copyright) (Received March 6, 3.15 p.m.) CHUNGKING, March 5 The Chungking radio claims that 70,000 Japanese troops are massed at "Hainan, besides heavy naval units in > Hainan harbour. It said that the Japanese are pre- ; paring Yulin harbour as a submarine base, and with the assistance of Italian and German technical advisers are busy transforming the Spratley, Paracels and Waichow I Islands into naval and air bases, pre- j paratory to a southward push. NEW YORK, March 5 The Dcmei Agency reports from j Tokio that the German Ambassador, ! Herr Ott. is going to Berlin to report on the Far Eastern situation and receive instructions regarding German policy in Japan. JAPANESE TERMS REFUSED BY FRANCE URGENT MEETING OF CABINET (United Press Assn—E'ec. Tel. Copyright) j (Received March 6, 3.15 p.m.) TOKIO, March 5 Prince Konoye has summoned an urgent meeting of the Cabinet for tomorrow, because France again has failed to meet the Japanese deadline for acceptance of the Japanese terms. Two deadline hours having passed, Japan’s third deadline for the expiry of the armistice period is anxiously awaited, but seeing that the French attitude is wholly conciliatory authoritative circles express the opinion that the massive military and Navy concentrations appeared likely to have more far-reaching motives than the intimidation of Indo-China. DEADLOCK REACHED CONFERENCE OF LEADERS OPPOSITION TO JAPANESE (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) (Received March 6. 3.15 p.m.) CHUNGKING, March 5 Authoritative sources disclosed a deadlock today in the conversations between the Kuominang and Communist leaders, who have been seeking a new working agreement to enable their co-operation against the Japanese. SUNK BY CHINESE 192 JAPANESE VESSELS MANY OTHERS DAMAGED Unii.Mi ! r**ss -rice. rej. Copyright) (Received March 6. 3.15 p.m.) CHUNGKING, March 5 It is officially announced that i Chinese shore batteries and mines in j the Yangtze River in 1940 sank 192 j Japanese ships avid damaged 188. The vessels sunk included 27 1 medium and ten small warships, 26 transports, three merchantmen, 118 j steam launches and eight tugs, ! valued at 208.000.000 yen. The majority of the losses were due to mines. AMERICAN TROOPS NO LIMIT TO ACTIVITY j JAPAN NOT ENCOURAGED Uni led Pro>> Assn.—Elec. Tel. r..»pyrtght. i (Received March 6. 3.15 p.m.) WASHINGTON, March 5 ; The Senate leaders have decided ‘ to oppose any amendments to the : Aid to Britain Bill designed to con- j fine the activities of American troops ! to the Western Hemisphere, because =

Mr Cordell Hull advised that such proposals would encourage the Japanese to be more aggressive. NOT A CHALLENGE ASSURANCE BY JAPAN REPLY TO BRITAIN (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) LONDON. March 4 ! Mr Churchill received the Japanese ! Ambassador. Mr Shigemitsu, for the 5 second time in a fortnight. Mr • Shigemitsu sought the interview. I It is understood he delivered Mr ! Matsuoka's detailed reply to the ! British memorandum. The talk is i believed to have been satisfactory \ from both the British and the Japj unese viewpoints. I Mr Shigemitsu emphasised that i Japan’s policy was not a challenge jto British interests. Japan did not ; wish the war to spread to the Far j East. j A Tokio message says the Japanese i Cabinet Iniormation Bureau spokesj man. Viscount Ishii, revealed that i Sir Robert Craigie, the British Am- | bassador. visited Mr Ohashi. the I Foreign Vice-Minister in connection ' with the Formosan Japanese Army ; spokesman's warning to Britain, and 'categorically denied that Chungking ' troops had entered Burma.