"HongkongTM Daily Press"--Dec. 29, 1939.
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OK Hongkong Daily Press.
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Registered as a Newspaperɛsk the Generál
Post Office in the United Kingdom.
報西
ESTABLISHED 1857
刺孖
No. 25368
皺捌拾陸佰叄仟伍弍第
15-19 Marina Homme, Queen's Boad Central G.P.O. Box No. 1
HONGKONG, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1939.
SUPERIORITY HELD BY ROYAL AIR
FORCE DEMONSTRATED IN FIGHT WITH THE GERMANS
Desire By Nazi High Command To Preserve Diminished Fleet
LONDON, DEC. 19 (BRITISH WIRELESS)-INFORM- ED CIRCLES IN LONDON REGARD THE STRENUOUS RE- FIGHTERS TO THE SISTANCE MADE BY GERMAN R.A.F. RECONNAISSANCE YESTERDAY AS INDICATING THE INCREASED DESIRE BY THE GERMAN HIGH COM- MAND TO PRESERVE THEIR DIMINISHED FLEET.
Ger-
"The R.A.F. expedition had as its object the seeking out and destruction of enemy ships, at sea but the mans had withdrawn their naval forces in an endeavour to protect them from discovery leaving the passage of the RAF. aircraft to be disputed by their fighters..
In the severe fighting which followed the determina- in the tion and skill of the R.A.F. personnel, resulting destruction of twelve enemy fighters for the loss of seven R.A.F. bombers, demonstrated, as did last Thursday's en- des- gagement when five out of 20 Messerschmitts troyed at the cost of three R.A.F. machines in a 40-minute fight, the superiority at present held by the Royal Air Force.
King Spends Day With The Navy
were
DUPED BY BRITISH REPORTS
Special to the H.K. Daily Press
LONDON, Dec. 19 (Havas)-Well- informed circles stated today that the German High Command was completely duped by British reperta.
on the concentration of allied ships waiting outside Montevideo bar- bour for the German pocket battle- ship Admiral Graf Spee
Far from having a formidable fleet of British and French war- ships, only the original warships which battled with the Graf Spee, EMS. Ajax and HMS. Achilles, minus HM8, Exeter, actually wait-
It is, however, recognised ed for the pocket battleship.
Both these light cruisers had that no accurate conclusion on the comparative strengths their ammunition supplies practi- of fighters and bombers can cally exhausted so that the Grar be obtained until large-scale Spee. repaired and treshened, could operations.. have taken place, be a match for them. although the success so far "attending
SEVERE
SMALLNESS OF SUBMARINES
The smailness of the sub- marines HM.S. Salmon and H.M.S. Ursula can be judged the with by
comparison largest submarines in the Royal Navy given below:--
H.M. S. PARTHIAN officer) 1,475 tons and 4-inch
Kun.
(5
RORQUAL · (5 B. M. 15. officers) 1,520 tons and 4- inch gun.
HMS, SALMON (4 officers) 670 tong and 3-inch gun,
HMS, URSULA (3 officers)- 540 tons and 3-Inch gun.
Submarine's
Triumphant Return
AN ENTHUSIASTIC
RECEPTION
LONDON, Dec. 19
(BW.S.)-
General Manager
ABOUT YOUR EYES
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JAPANESE
FEAR IMMINENCE OF ABROGATION
OF AMERICAN TRADE TREATY
SHANGHAI, Dec. 19 (Reuter)—A step in the right direction, but two years late, is the opinion of the Ameri- |can-owned Shanghai Evening Post in a leading article on Japanese preparation for the re-opening of a small sec- tion of the Yangtse River.
li
The paper declares, however, that if foreign shipping is to be handicapped in the area from the boom to Nan- king, similarly as has been treated in the delta, then the re-opening does not mean much.
The paper believes that the decision was prompted by the Imminence of the abrogation of the American - Japanese Trade Treaty.
The Japanese announcement of "preparations' for the gradual and conditional re-opening of the Yangtse, below Nanking, is believed to be couched to indicate that there are fearful difficulties to be faced-pretensions that will receive nothing but mocking laughter from third party shippers who have seen Nippon craft sailing to and from Bankow for a long time."
STREET SLEEPERS
TO BE CLEARED
Police patrols, in the Central district have been instructed as from today to keep certain Areas clear of all street sleep-
Areas that are to be cleared are Queen's Road Central, be- tral, between Wellington Street and the Hongkong and Shang- hal Bank: Des Voeux Boad Central, between Jubilee Street and the Bank; and Connaught Road Central between Jubilee Street and Jackson Road.
an empty gesture then it will not have a favourable effect for the Japanese on other nation, but to the contrary.
Daughter Denounces Father As "Traitor"
CLOSE FOLLOWER OF WANG
KINHWA, CHEKIANG, Dec. 19 (Central)-Miss Mei Kan- wen, daughter of Mel Sze-ping. close follower of Wang Ching-wel, has severed re- lations with her father, brand- ing him as "a traitor."
STATEMENT ISSUED She issued a statement on Deci 13, the second anniversary of the fall of Nanking, declaring that she wants to eliminate ber traitorous father and expressed the hope that the children of all traitors will join hand in an anti-traltor campaign.
She also made B speech at school denouncing her father in bitter termS.
The Evening Post adds that the Japanese are ingenious and remarking that one of the roa- sons for delaying the date of the re-opening of the river is that the boom mast first be removed, asks: "Have the Jap- anese ships that have taken commercial cargo up-river in
The step-mother of Mei Sze-ping the past two years been
has also announced in the Press The British submarine which re- cently sank a U-Boat, sighted the solemnly climbing over the
"To influence America, Japan her severance of relations with boom!" Bremen and torpedoed at least
must throw open the whole of the him whom she denounced as "a In conclusion, "the paper states Yangtec without restrictions and traitor endangering the State and R.A.F. fighters, case in less universally known de-one German cruiser, had an e-
disgracing the ancestors."-- when driving off enemy bomb feats. The same interpretation is thusiastle reception on her return that, should the re-opening be but conditions, and quickly. raids, may prove
in the put to the German story of an air to port: future to be a link in the cer- battle of the Sylt yesterday which. tain chain of evidence favour-in fact, never took place although sirens sounded on every ship pre- it is true that unmolested RAF sent-among them two destroyers able to the R.A.F.
patrols over that and the south of the Polish Navy, which are at co-operating with the That the recent lass of German Frisian Islands were almost con present warships has shaken German continuously carried out on Tuesday. Royal Navy.
MOST EVENTFUL He went on board a destroyer fidence is to be expected and au- Wednesday, Thursday and Satur-
The patrol from which sub- which had just returned from a thoritative London circles "believe day of inst week 15-day routine patrol.
Naval circles as, the most eventful which has fallen to, any submarine either in this war or the last.
Events moved rapidly from the beginning.
LONDON, Dec. 19 (Reuter)-His Majesty the King spent the day with the Navy, visiting Plymouth Comand yesterday and inspecting mine-sweeping trawlers.
The King also saw and spoke to fishermen from Newfoundland who had come Britain to join the Royal
Navy.
Mr. Neville Chamberlain yester- day morning visited M. Daladier at the War Ministry in Paris, says Reuter.
that
As she entered the harbour,
the grossly exaggerated These patrols, it seems, had the marine returned is spoken of in claims made by the German Gov-effect
of keeping German sea- ernment, which more than reverse planes fixed to these bases be- the true story of yesterday's air cause. since they began. no enemy battle, represent an attempt to seaplane has approached the Bri- counteract the impression made rish coast. on the German public by the loss of the Admiral Graf Spee,
NEVER TOOK PLACE
News of this could not be sup pressed or minimised as is the
LULL IN KWANGSI BROKEN: JAPANESE BASE IN SOUTH HUPEH HEAVILY ATTACKED
ON THE KWANGSI FRONT, Dec. 19 (Central)-The lull in Kwangsi was broken yesterday morning by a Chi- nese attack against the Japanese front lines at Kunlung- kwan, on the Nanning-Pinyang highway.
H.M.S. Exeter's Fight With Graf
Spee Described: Heroism Of Wounded
LONDON, DEC. 19 (REUTER)—FURTHER DETAILS OF H.M.S. EXETER'S FIGHT WITH THE GERMAN POCKET: BATTLESHIP ADMIRAL GRAF SPEE indicate that the enemy sighted the high mast of "the Exeter and opened The returned the fire. fire from 12 miles. The Exeter vessels were steaming parallel
WAITING FOR
CRACK
The submarine had not long Whatever the future may hold,
The first salvo from the doing to badly." He later died GERMAN LINER It is beyond dispute the British been in her patrol area before she sea patrols are gaining valuable sighted a German U-Boat, of the Graf Spee's 11-inch guns fellashore.
second directly experience which will be put to big ocean-going type, steaming short, the
fast on the surface outward bound. astern, the third and fourth good use.
QUICK MANOEUVRE
missed, the fifth scored a hit
FRENCH LOAN
TO CHINA
PARIS, Dec. 19 (Reuter)-Reports from the Far East of 180,000,00 francs loan to China, for the con- struction of a rallway linking the provinces of Yunnan and Szech- uan, are not confirmed in official sources..
The British submarine mano- and later there was a direct euvred quickly to attack. Tor- pedoes were red and in a few hit. minutes there came a shattering exp.usion.
turret
NEW YORK, Dec. 19 (Reuter)---- SALARIES PAID 4
According to the Miami Herald, Special to the HK. Dally Press
British destroyers are waiting off BUENOS AIRES, Dec. 19 (Havas) Florida to intercept the crack Ger- The Argentine Navy Minister, man liner Columbus (32,000 ton) Rear-Admiral L Scasso, visited which salled on Thursday from The impact of one shell on the members of the crew of the Ad-Vera Cruz for an unknown destina- Exeter's forward
killed miral Grat Spee at the hotel where❘tion. outright eight of 15 of the crew they are kept under guard. of marines and made havoc of the The Argentine Government is paying the salaries of 1,039 Ger- anbridge Lamediately above.
The Kwangtung Provincial Gov- The captain, in the centre, and man oficers and sailors. A certain one or two survivors were unscath-amount for their upkeep will be ernment is bringing the oplum suppression project to the second The Exeter closed in receiving The Graf Spee's sailors declared stage whereby eight more halen. three or four more hits from 11inch that they had not entered. any namely, Yingiak, Tsingyuan, Fat-
The #reackage was thrown at least 200 feet into the air.
The British submarine made iunsuccessful search for survivors.
MURDERER GRANTED REPRIEVE
ed.
shells and, coming under fire of
deducted.
the Graf Spee's 5.9-inch guns, she port for the last four months and kong, Yuyuan. Jenhua, Lokchong, returned shot for shot till, only one added that nine days after the war Lenshan and Yeungshan are, to be of her 8-inch guns could be fired, broke out, the Graf Spee. ler: cleaned up of the evil by the end
Whelmshaven for the South At of next June. and that by hand.
lantic with the aim of sinking alled merchantmen.
STEERING GEAR DAMAGED The numerous shells which fell!
The Chinese recaptured Kunlungkwan at 11.20 am, and in pursuit of the enemy regained Chiutang, a point south, at noon. Japanese communication between Wutang
N. IRELAND'S. and Liutang on the same highway has been severed.
It is learned from an official PART IN WAR that the Japanese aircraft which The spokesman sald
source that Tang Chu, alias Shu
Most of the Fallors are youngThe naval authorities have sum- had been inactive for the last Chinese have not launched a gen-
LONDON, Dec. 19 (Reuter)-Open- Hang-tsai, aged 24 years, who was
without previous war ex-maned the captain of the German few days swung into action eral counter-offensive as it is not mag the new session of the North- sentenced to death at the Criminal alongside riddled the ship's side men
freighter Tacoma to explain why now ern Ireland Parliament, the Duke, Sessions last month, has been and upperworks. The steering gear perience. again following the Chinese yet the time. The assaults
Captain Landsdorf, commander his ship left and returned to purt recapture of Kunlungkwan. being made on various fronts are of Abercom read the King's speech granted a reprieve by the Governor was damaged just after 7p.m. and
for the following 45 minutes the of the Graf Spee, announced that without permission. "From the day war in Council. They reconnoitred and bomb-intended to harass the Japanese which said:
It-
was declared, Northern Ireland has Tang, who was defended by Mr. captain steered by boat compass he was remaining in Argentine" as ed the Chinese positions. Three machines flew to Pin-placements. Reports have it that given proof of her willingness to Percy Chen, instructed by Mr. A. from the after control in the for- long as the Argentine Government
three Japanese Divisions in North play her full part in this great's K, Lau, was found guilty before yang where they machine-"
China are being replaced with
struggle." gunned the peasants working fresh reinforcements.
in the fields.
A field dispatch describes the Chinese success at Kunlung- kwan as the most important victory since hostilles were started in Kwangs. The hill- sides are said to be strewn with Japanese dead and arms and ammunitien abandoned.
STREET FIGHTING PINGKIANG, HUNAN, Dec. (Central) Chinese troops
and give them no chance for
The Japanese weakness, the spokesman declared, has been exposed as a result of the Chi- nese attacks. At many points 'the 'Japanese failed to put up any resistance and not a Few Japanese officers men have surrendered,
and
The spokesman claimed that the Chinese have gained considerable
15 war booty, including 14 field and broke mountain guns on the east bank into Tungcheng. Japanese base of of the Siang River in Hupeh. operations in South Hupeh, through the north gates on Sunday. Street fighting ensued.
CENTRAL HUPEH
FANCHENG HUPEH, Dec. 19 (Central)-Fighting raged all day yesterday on the Kingshan-Chung- CHUNGKING, Dec. 19 (Central) siang highway, in Central Hupeh.
GENERAL OFFENSIVE
-Japanese reports of a
Chinese
The Japanese are encountering
winter offensive" were dented by, difficulties in calling up reinforce-
spokesman ments as the highway has been
2
Chinese military
yesterday in an
with cut interview
the Central News..
Continued on Page 5
On Other-
Pages
Jack Dempsey
Football xtures......
H.K.R.A, spoor shoot Coming events Radio programmes Crossword puzzle. Rotary tiffin Registry wedding Leading article Junk robbery
HLRY.D.C. Camps -Urban Council
Finance, commerce
Pagt
2
2
2
the Chief Justice 8ir Atholl Mac- Gregor, of the murder of Leung Ki, aged 21, in Chinese Street on September 28, 1939, and the death sentence was passed on November
28.
The trial lasted two days and the prosecution was conducted by Mr. J. B. Prentis, Assistant Crown ¡Soliciter.
It was the 12th murder trial of the year.."
DEATH OF "MRS.
R. KIPLING LONDON, Dec. 19 (Reuter)"The death occurred. today of Mrs. Rudyard Kipling, widow of the famous poet.
Mrs. Kipling had not been in 8 good health since her husband's death in 1936. She would have been 74 next month.
?
wani main mast...
Through a chain of ten sailors, directions were conveyed from man
the after steering wheel and engine room until the ship was no longer serviceable as a fighting" unit and fell out of the action.
Numerous fres bike out but were kept under control by the men throwing the burning material into the sea.
The labours of the engine room staff were incredible..
"Normally two hours is re quired to work up to full speed but the impossibie was achieved in 20 minutes.
The Graf Spec clearly concen- trated in the destruction of the Exeter in the early stages of the engagement.
Of the heroism of the wounded much might be related.
wishes.
11
- CAPTAIN SUMMONED Special to the HK. Daily Press. MONTEVIDEO, Dec. 19 (Havas)
It is believed that the Tacoma will probably be interned.
It will be recalled that the freighter followed the pocket bat- tleship to sea and participated in [the rescue of the crew.
Nazi Warships' Hulls Made More Vulnerable By Welding
Special to the Hongkong Daily Press
LONDON, Dec. 19 (Havas)-Naval experts stated that the welding system employed by German dockyards in the construc- tion of warships makes the hails more vulnerable than if the ordinary rivetting plates were used.
This is shown both in the sink- By discarding rivets, the Ger ing of the German cruiser belong-mans made their 10,000-ton pocket ing to the Koeln class by a single battleships lighter by 900 tons." The torpedo and in the damage caused same type of warship, buat by the
10,900 tons.
One man, with both legs shot to the Graf Spee by the 6-inch rivetting avstem, would displace off, said,, on enquiry, "he was not, shells from HMS, Ajax