ANY BLOCKADE
ILLEGAL -- MR. Ranpura Incident Mention In House
London, To-day. Questions were put in the House of Commons yes- terday regarding the Japanese claim to the right to blockade Chinese ports.
The Under-Seoretary for Foreign Affairs, Mr. R. A. Butler, replied that shortly after the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese hostilities in 1937 the Jap- anese Government purported to declare blockade of the whole coast.
JAPANESE RAID INTERIOR TOWNS
'Swatow, To-day. Meihsien, an important city about 140 miles north-west of Swatow near the Kwangtung-Fukien border, was bombed yesterday by several Japanese machines.
a
However, the Japanese said it would be exclusively applied to Chinese vessels.
Any attempt to apply the block- adé to vessels of other Powers would constifüte an assertion of belligerent rights, and in the ab- sence of a state of war between China and Japan it would be illegal.
The British Government had al-
THE CHINA MAÌL, JUNE 6, 1989.
ATTEMPT BUTLER
ITALIAN AGREEMENT DENIED
London, To-day.
The Bolivian Legation officially denied that a tin and rayon bar- ter agreement has been concluded between Bolivia and Italy.--Reu- ter Bulletin.
TRADE CREDITS WITH CHINA
LONDON, TO-DAY. QUESTIONS WERE ASKED IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS YES- TERDAY BY MAJOR-GENERAL SIR ALFRED KNOX (CONSER- VATIVE, WYCOMBE) REGARD- ING TRADE CREDITS WITH CHINA.
Some 10 persons were killed and ready made its views on the mat-there was any truth
injured and many buildings were damaged. One of the biggest Chin- ese ancestorial temples, belonging to the Li clan, was hit and demolished.
Another large city in the interior,
Hing Ning, was also visited by the
machines. No details from this town were available last night.
Five bombs were dropped in Swatow.--Our Own Correspondent,
ONLY 300 GERMANS DEAD IN SPAIN
Berlin, To-day.
ter clear to the Japanese Govern-
ment.
RANPURA INCIDENT
5
Mr. R. H. Morgan (Conservative, Stourbridge) asked if the Govern- ment considered the Ranpura inci- dent closed on the Japanese ex- planation that they mistook the identity of the vessel.
Mr. Butler replied: We have al- ways agreed that our ships might be boarded in cases of genuine doubt, whether the ships were British or not.
There could be no doubt in the case of the Ranpura, and that was why we took up a definite attitude and have now received the ex- planation given.
AS FAR AS IT GOES
The number of German volun- teers who fell in the Spanish Civil War as well as the names of the victims will be officially announc ed to-day on the occasion of the parade of the Condor Legion before Hitler, when boys belonging to the Mr. Morgan asked if that ex- Hitler youth will carry tablet on which the names of the dead are inscribed.
planation was satisfactory.
Mr. Butler
was understood reply: Yes, as far as it goes.
It is reliably stated that the num-Reuter. ber of German volunteers killed, totals 330. Trans-Ocean.
WATCH FOR THE MIDNIGHT STARS!
**
DON AMECHE STARS IN 11 'MIDNIGHT”
SWEDISH-FINNISH MILITARY PACT
to
Stockholm, To-day. Conclusion of a Swedish-Finnish military pact for defence of neu- trality is believed to be the purpose of the visit of the Finnish War Min- ister, M. Niukkanen, who arrived here yesterday as the guest of the Swedish Defence Minister.
In a speech at a banquet last
Major-General Knox enquired if in rumours that the Export Credit quarantee Department, had, advised the Chin- ese advisory committee to deal en- tirely with an organisation called Trading Facilities, Limited.
interests of British traders in He also wanted to know why the
China were disregarded,
Mr. R. S. Hudson, Secretary for
Overseas Trade, replied that he had looked into the memorandum from Major-General Knox which formed the basis of the question.
DELIBERATE LIES
"Most of the statements are en-
tirely unfounded, and a large num- ber are deliberate representations,” he said...
MR. BUTLER REVIEWS CHINA HAPPENINGS
LONDON, TO-DAY. THE UNDER-SECRETARY FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS, MR. R. A. BUTLER, GAVE AN AC- COUNT AT QUESTION TIME IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS YESTERDAY OF RECENT HAPPENINGS IN CHINA.
Mr. Butler said that fighting had been proceeding in Central China in the Han River area, and the general. line held by both sides remains the same. The general situation in the In- ternational Settlement at Shanghai remains substantially unchanged.
some
There had been no reduction in the number of the land parties at Kulangsu, and negotiations for a settlement there continue. British and American marines were still on the island.
officers
SPEAR INCIDENT
Regarding the British held by the Japanese (Lt.-Col. Spear and Lt. Cooper), Mr. Butler understood the Chinese Secretary to the Embassy and the British military liaison officer were return-
there yesterday with the ing to Peiping and were expected latest
news.
The whole matter had been taken
up with the Japanese military au- thorities and the Government. Reuter.
ARABS DYNAMITE HIGHWAY
+
JERSUSALEM, TO-DAY. Major-General Knox" gave notice
THE HIGHWAY BETWEEN that in view of the reply he would JERUSALEM AND JERICHO raise the matter at the earliest op-WAS DYNAMITED YESTERDAY. portunity.-Reuter.
In the course of investigation the police found 250 pounds of ex- plosives and several uniforms of Arab irregulars in the village of
GERMANY'S NEW Silet Hartlyá
PACTS
Berlin, To-day. Signing of non-aggression' pacts between Germany and Estonia and Germany and Latvia will take place in Berlin on Wednesday.
The Estonian Foreign Minister, M. Selter, and his Latvian colleague, M. Munters, will arrive here in the morning and the pacts will be| signed at noon, ́.
The text of both pacts will be short and will be similar to that non- aggression pact recently concluded between Germany: and Denmark.— Trans-Ocean.
night, M. Niukkanen said Finland ITALIAN TROOPS
aims at close co-operation with Sweden in national defence.
Finland would keep aloof from power politics, would protect her territorial integrity and observe unconditional neutrality."
He concluded by announcing that the Aaland Islands would be forti
ad Trans-Ocean.
HOME
Naples, To-day.. Italian troops who served in Spain arrived here last evening accompanied by a Spanish detach- ment Trans-Ocean.
The Arab newspaper: El Djihad has been banned for two weeks.
HSU SHIH-CHANG PASSES
"Tientsin, To-day. The death has occurred here of
Mr. Hou Shih-chang, President of China from 1918 to 1922, at the age of 81.
The late Mr. Hsu was Viceroy of Manchuria from 1907 to 1909 and Associate Premier in 1911. He was also a famous scholar.-Reuter.
AMOY MEETING POSTPONED
Shanghai, To-day.
con-
The meeting between the sular representatives of Britain, France, the United States and Ja- pan at Kulangsu to discuss the pro- posed reforms in the Kulangau Settlement has been postponed till to-day,Trans-Ocean.