THE CHINA MAIL, APRIL 2, 1988
INSURGENTS NOW WITHIN HALF A MILE OF LERIDA Loyalists Making Desperate Holding-Out Bid
But Fall Of City
Declared To Be Imminent
Saragossa, To-day.
After fighting their way through the Government defences, the insurgents are now reported to be a half mile from Lerida, and fall of the city is declared imminent.
The whole of insurgent Spain is waiting to celebrate
the victory.
The Government defence is described as powerful,
ISLAMIC CONFERENCE
CANCELLED
Ankara, To-day.
Because of the delicate. Euro- pean situation, the meeting of Foreign Ministers of Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan, ar- ranged for late in April, has been cancelled-Reuter,
RISING SCALE OF TAXATION IN JAPAN
Tokyo, To-day.
Direct taxation for the budget year 1938-39 is estimated at yen 1,073,000,000 as against yen 767,- 000,000 for 1937-38.
Indirect taxes increased to yen 943,000,000 as against yen 819,-
as
Taking the population 70,000,000, per capita taxation has risen from 17.7 yen in 1936-37 to 22.6 yen in 1937-38 and 28.8 yen for 1938-39-Trans-Ocean
A Chinese Art Exhibition is be000,000 last year. ing held in the China Emporium until April 6, which is designed to and the loyalists are making a desperate bid to raise funds for the upkeep of the First Aid Hospital recently estab- hold out in the hope that reinforcements willlished in Canton.
arrive.
The roads leading to Lerida from the south-west are jammed wit food lorries, ambulances.
an
troops going in one direction, while prisoners and lorries loaded with captured war material are proceed- ing in the other-Reuter.
EXCHANGE OF PRISONERS
London, To-day. Field-Marshal Sir Philip Chet- wode has been chosen as head of the British mission which, it is hoped, will shortly supervise th plan for exchange of prisoners ir the Spanish civil war.
The plan has already been sub mitted to both parties in Spain. General Franco has answered I the affirmative, and it is expected the Spanish Government will rep!: shortly.-Reuter.
PLAN APPROVED
London, To-day. The British plan for the solution of war prisoners in Spain will soor be executed, according to the diplo matic correspondent of the "Daily Telegraph."
The plan provides for two com missions to be sent to Burgos and Barcelona for discussion with th Franco and Negrin Governments.
The headquarters of the war pri soners missions is to be established at Toulouse.
The cost of sending the commis. sions to Spain will be borne by th British Government, according tc the "Daily Telegraph.” Trans -Ocean.
ALCANIZ FIGHTING
Saragossa, To-day. Heaviest fighting yesterday was in the outskirts of Lerida and at Alcaniz
The Republicans counter-attacked near Alcaniz after their artillery bad destroyed the bridge over the Ma- carrana River Trans-Ocean.
INVENTION AND NONSENSE
Hankow, To-day.
Troops moving up into the front lines during the recent fighting in southern Shansi.
AMERICA'S NEW HELIUM REGULATIONS
Berlin, To-day.
Aeronautic circles here have 80 far abstained from expressing an opinion concerning the new regula- tions enacted by the United States authorities for the sale of helium gas.
Under the terms of the new re- gulations applicants desirous of obtaining a supply of helium gas must deposit a certain sum as guar- antee that all conditions attaching to its supply will be observed.
Applicants must further agree to submit to their airships and plant being examined at any time by the American authorities.
A report spread yesterday by an American news agency that the con- It is pointed out here that Ger gress of Kuomintang delegates held many is particularly interested in at Chungking refused to prolong he supply of helium gas for the plenary powers to Generalissimo purpose of her trans-Atlantic Zep- Chiang Kai-shek is described by pelin service but that it is necessary Chinese authorities here as pure into wait and see what practical con- vention and nonsense.
sequences may ensue from the prac-
It is presumed that such rumours tical application of the new regula-1 emanated from Japanese
tions before expressing, an opinion concerning them-Trans-Ocean.
da sources.
Trans-Ocean.
66
TRAVEL
American
Express"
A World Wide Organization
No. 4, Des Voeux Road, Central