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THE CHINA MAIL,
ANUARY 20, 1989.
FRENCH NAVAL
CONCENTRATION
Sudden departure from Shanghai of the French cruiser, Primauguet, under sealed orders, is be- lieved to be closely connected with the Japan- ese threat to Pakhoi and the possibility envis- aged of a Japanese attack on Hainan.
According to messages received this morning from French Indo-China, the French authorities are taking a seriou view of developments in the Liuchow peninsula region and have ordered the concentration of the French naval forces in the Far East in the Gulf of Tongking.
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NEW PITTMAN PLAN FOR SILVER IN U.S.
It is reported in Hanoi that all vessels have been recalled to Indo-China.
Belief in Indo-China, apparent. ly, is that a landing at Pakhoi may be expected within the next two or three days, the object of
-'FLU HITS- BUDAPEST
Budapest, To-day.
A large-scale influenza epidemic has hit Budapest, and 250,000 inhabitants of the Hungarian capital, total- ling one-fifth of the city's entire population, are down with the disease.
Two hundred have already died. Reuter.
the Japanese expedition being to NEW YANGTSE
drive north and cut the railway connecting Haiphong and Nan- ning.
Washington, To-day. Senator Key Pittman has pro- posed a revised silver purchasing The concentrations of Japanese programme calling for purchase naval craft and transports in the from domestic as well as foreign vicinity of Weichow Island has sources, but in the case of foreign substantially increased and air purchases the funds would go to reconnaissance of the coast in pay for exports of American pro- ducts.
The new bill provides for the maintenance of a monetary reserve equal to one-fourth silver and three- fourth gold, and beginning on July 1, domestic purchases would rate at $1.29 an ounce.
The bill would eliminate the 50 per cent. tax on silver trading pro- fits.-Reuter.
NEUTRALITY LAW DECISION POSTPONED
Washington, To-day.
the vicinity of Pakhoi has been on a scale in the last two or three days as to suggest that action is not likely to be long delayed.
WEST RIVER DRIVE
Macao, To-day, Fighting on all fronts in Kwang- tung is reported here.
GUNBOAT
LAUNCHED
London, To-day.
H.M.S. Grasshopper, the second of two shallow-draft gunboats | for the Yangtse Flotilla built by Messrs. John Thornycroft and Company, was launched at South- ampton yesterday by Mrs. R. G. Howe..
"Grasshopper" has a displace-
FORMER C.R.E. IN HONG KONG FOUND SHOT
London, To-day.
Colonel Claude Russell-Brown, |C.R.E., China Command from 1924 to 1928, was found shot dead at his home in Baron's Court, London, yesterday.
Colonel Russell-Brown was educated at Wellington College and Woolwich. He entered the Royal Engineers in 1892, and served in South Africa and the Great War, when he commanded the R.E. 1st and 8th Divisions in France.
He was Assistant British Commissioner · on the Anglo- Portuguese Boundary Commis- sion in 1898-99.
He retired in 1930.-Reuter.
POPULATION OF ITALY JUMPS
Rome, To-day,
The population of Italy has ment of 585 tons, and embodies | grown to 44,056,000, it was announ- The Japanese launched a series considered improvements in arm-ced here yesterday, on the basis of of attacks to break through the ament which consists of 4-inch vital statistics compiled. Chinese lines at Tsungfa but, ac-guns and protection and living The number of births in 1938 to- cording to vernacular
messages, accommodation for a crew of talled 1,031,19% and deaths during were unsuccessful.
seventy-four.
the year 606,799, the surplus being
The Japanese in the East River First of the new gunboats 424,394. region are still hard-pressed by launched, which arrived in The birth rate increased from Shanghai via Hong Kong recent- 22.7 per thousand in 1937 to 23.6 ly, was H.M.S. Scorpion.-Reuter, per thousand.-Trans-Ocean.
guerillas.
However, it is reliably reported that the Japanese have made pro- The Foreign Relations Commit- gress at Samshui. Strongly sup- tee of the Senate has decided to ported by aircraft and artillery, the postpone indefinitely any considera-infantry advanced westwards along tion of pending proposals to revise the river yesterday and occupied a or enlarge the present Neutrality small town some miles from Sam- Statutes-Reuter.
| sbui.--Our Own Correspondent.
JAPANESE RETREAT
CZECH MINISTER ENTERTAINED
The British
London, To-day. Government enter-
tained at luncheon yesterday mem-
Macao, To-day. Japanese troops from Wong Kok were forced to retreat yesterday afternoon when a considerable force of Chinese troops appeared at Tai- kong.
The Japanese who had ad- bers of the Czecho-Slovak financial vanced to Taikong, after a short mission.
skirmish. withdrew to Wong Kok.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer -Our Own Correspondent. was in the chair and guests in- cluded Dr. Vilem Pospisil, head of the Czech mission,, and Sir Frederick Leith-Ross, chief eco- nomic adviser to the British Gov- ernment.-British Wireless,
R.A.F. ALLIANCE
London, To-day.
A second alliance between a unit
of the R.A.F. and a unit of the
TWO NEW BRITISH
DESTROYERS LAUNCHED
London, To-day.,
Dominion Air Force is announced] Two new British destroyers 'of
in a statement by the Air Ministry. the "K" class were launched from
The King has approved of No. Clyde shipyards yesterday.
22 Sydney Squadron of the R.A.A.F.
being allied to No. 602 City of Glas- and "Kipling" respectively,
They were christened “Kelvin” |
gow Army Co-operation Squadron.
Auxillary Air Force, British
Wireless,
S
Each vessel has a displacement of 1,690 tons,--Trans-Ocean,
L
Even December days have their ́charm for members of a local riding school at Torquay. There are many delightful spots in the neighbourhood which they explore during their riding lessons. Photo shows riders passing through the picturesque village, of Cockington, still pretty oven on a December day.
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