THE CHINA MAIL, OCTOBER 24, 1938.
MEDIATION SUGGESTION Italy Suggests Action By Britain And France
PESSIMISM FELT IN LONDON
Rome, To-day.
The occupation of Canton evokes considerable com- ment in the Italian press, notably "Voce d'Italia” and “Stampa.”
The former describes it as a decisive and perhaps a mortal blow to the Chinese defence, and de- clares it would not be surprised to hear reports of fresh attempts at mediation on the part of the British and French Governments.
NEW PROBLEMS
Rome, To-day.
The paper adds that there are 1 circles in London where an econo- mic catastrophe for Hong Kong is feared, and also the political reac- Much prominence is given in the tion which an active Japanese po- Italian Sunday press to the capture licy in South China may have on of Canton which is regarded as a French Indo-China and British splendid achievement by the Ja- India.
panese forces.
"Stampa" declares that the oc-
cupation of Canton and the certain
early conquest of
the word finis to the Sino-Japanese
War.
BALDWIN BLAMED
and their comrades.
The "Giornale d'Italia" holds
lapse through the fall of Canton.
-KEMAL
ATATURK RECOVERS
Ankara, To-day.
It is announced that no further bulletins will be issued following a bulletin last night stating that the acute symptons of Kemal Ata- turk's illness have now completely disappeared.-Reuter.
BRITAIN SHOULD NOT BE WORRIED
London, Yesterday.
FRANCE
AND DICTATOR COUNTRIES
PARIS, TO-DAY.
- AN IMPORTANT DIPLOMATIC RE-SHUFFLE AS RESULT OF THE TRANSFER OF THE AM-28 BASSADOR IN BERLIN, M. FRANCOIS-PONCET, TO ROME, IS ANNOUNCED.
M. Erik Labonné, at present Am- bassador at Barcelona, is appointed Resident-General at Tunis, and will be succeeded by M. Jules Henry, chief private secretary of the Foreign Minister, M. Bonnet.
M. Paul Naggiár, Ambassador in China, is being transferred to Mos- cow, where he takes the place of M. Coulondre, appointed to Berlin. NEW ATTITUDE
time, had seen the Prime Minister of a great country, the master of Empire, ready to help in abolishing an injustice which had become a menace to peace.
an
That the conclusion of trade and
It is understood that the Foreign that the political and military cor-economic treaties between Ger- Minister has also recommended the been brought to the verge of col-neighbours should not worry d'Orsay, as Ambassador to Turkey. Hankow places nerstone of Chinese. resistance has many and her Central European appointment of M. Massigli, direc- tor of political affairs at the Quai The Chinese fighting forces have Great Britain, was the statement
In some quarters these changes now been cut off from their "re-made by Mr. Geoffrey Shake-are regarded as a sign of France's The journal says that General
ticent and cautious allies.”
new attitude towards the totali- Chiang Kai-shek goes to swell the
The occupation of Canton, this
speare, Parliamentary Secretary of
tarian states as a result of the group composed of Ras Tafari (the Italian commentary says, gives rise the Admiralty in a speech at Nor- Munich Agreement.-Reuter. Abyssinian chief), Dr. Benes (ex-to new problems of international wich. Czecho-Slovakian President) and importance. Japan's appearance on It will be good for Europe, he the extreme corner of the Indian said, if Germany buys up the The paper blames British policy Ocean in the closest proximity under Earl Baldwin
to surplus products of her neigh- (then Mr. Hong Kong is bound to affect Bri-bours who otherwise might ap- Stanley) for the Chinese collapsetish, French and even American in-pear as competitors to the Bri- because they encouraged hope for terests.
tish Empire. on the world mar- support that could not be given.-
According to information. reach-ket Reuter.
ing Rome, London is now filled with. Turning to the latest political profound concern regarding the development in Europe, the future of the British commercial speaker was of the opinion that interests established in Hong Kong. war was not prevented by early Apart from this the purely com-mobilisation of the British Navy mercial factor of the Japanese po-but because Germany, for the first licy of activism in Middle China is bound to have political repercussions on French Indo-China and British India.
'LONDON SUSPICIONS
London, To-day. The unexpectedly rapid fall of Canton gives rise here to certain suspicions which are voiced in the "Sunday Times."
The paper remarks that the small number of Japanese troops, com- bined with the total absence of re- sistance on the part of the Chinese, might justify the surmise that one or other Chinese general would eventually be indicted for high treason.
of
Consequences of the capture Canton, according to the paper, were equally serious. for China, who thereby loses her last remaining port, and for Great Britain.
Hong Kong, which had already
Whilst the surge still goes on, quarrelling about sanctions and such things, concludes this semi- official Italian comment, new pro- blems of far-reaching significance are quickly assuming shape and form in Asia and are casting their shadow over century-old positions of European rule.-Trans-Ocean.
JAPANESE READY
Paris, To-day. More and more the conviction, is
suffered much from the hostilities gaining ground here that the time and which is overfilled with re- fugees, now finds itself cut off from all communications with the in- terior of China.
BRITISH TRADE
The paper says that even more important than the question of the future of Hong Kong is that of the future of British trade with China in general, for severe damage must be reckoned with for British com mercial interests.
In this connection the paper calls that influential circles in pan have not concealed their sire to destroy British trade the Far East.
is ripe for a new attempt at me- diation in the Far Eastern conflict. That at least is the impression gained by a close study of-yester- day's newspaper comments. on the latest events in China.
This desire for mediation is quite plainly dictated by fears that a con- tinuation of the Sino-Japanese con- flict will imperil French interests in Indo-China and in the region of Yunnan.
The commentators are at pains re- to point out to what extent the de Ja-velopments may lead to a loss of de-British prestige through weakening in the strategical positions in the Far
East.
The paper reproaches Mr. Ram-The "Epoque" thinks that a pre- say Macdonald's Labour Govern-requisite for success of mediation ment with having interrupted con-action of this sort is a classification struction of the naval base in Singa:] of European affairs. It claims that pore in 1929, with the result that the Japanese will now after their Japan had been enabled to out- recent great successes bé more like- distance the British Fleet-Trans-ly to agree to negotiate than a few Ocean:
months ago. Trans-Ocean.
The speaker finished: "It should be our policy to secure peace by removing the causes for war. This policy has its dangers. But I would sooner take these risks than go. with Mr. Churchill, whose policy I believe, would throw the world into war-Trans-Ocean,
After laying the foundation, stone of Southend Mon pital Extension at Rochford on October 12, the Duchess ed the Southend General Hospital, where six weeks old ray, in the children's ward attracted her attenti child, in- ber armi, (Copyri ht! By Air Mall);