HONGKONG DAILY PRESS
CABLES
FRIDAY, MAY 17, 1940, -PAGE
BLENHEIM BOMBERS BLAST
BOMBERS BLAST BELGIUM BOUND BOCHES ALLIES DO NOT NEED
CHINA'S SUCCESSES IN QUICK
HUPEH-HONAN FRONT
-
BLOW BY AIR FORCE CRIPPLES THE GERMAN ADVANCE
12
Collapse Of Japanese Invasion Mobile Column
Is Brought Nearer
CHUNGKING, May 16 Central-Shanghal Chinese papers -continue to play up the Chinese victory "in" "Hupeh "and" "Honan."
Commenting upon the Chinese success, the Shun „Pac, one
of the oldest Chinese dalles, says that Japan's defeat has not been accidental, The cause of the Chinese victory, the daily opines, threefold. First, the Chinese generals are well fami- liar with the Japanese encircling tactles and know how to deal with it. Secondly, the hilly terrain and maze of lakes and rivers in Hupeh, and Honan are unfavourable to the Japanese. Thirdly, the Japanese troops have a poor morale.
Chinese Take Changtaik wan
STRATEGIC POINTtarists
CAPTURED
Column Severely Battered Into
Immobile Mass
LONDON MAY 16 (BRITISH WIRELESS)-Details of the devastating daylight at- tack by British bombers on an enemy mechanised column, several miles, long, may now be given. In the early stages of the German invasion of Belgium, large enemy concen- trations were reported to be moving forward through the frontler town of Maastriet.
A strong force of Blenheim bombers was at once des-, patched with, orders to find the enemy's leading column. and delay its advance. It located the column on the road leading from Maastrict" towards Tongres..
MESSERSCHMIDTS. MANGLED
LESSON IN COURAGE M. Leon Blum Speaks At
British Labour Meeting
BOURNEMOUTH, May 18 (Router)—"I do not know what will happen to capitalism if we lose the war but I do know "what will happen to socialism if Hitler" triumphs,” said M. Leon Blum. French Socialist Leader and former Premier, in a speech at the resumed conference here yesterday-of-the-Labour Party "Wherever this mechanised At French could see no difference tilla has passed over, workers' between Communists and Nazis, rights and institutions have been Indeed, it is a fact that Nazi destroyed. The Funcurs "that planes dropped Communist pam- France had ceased to be a de- phlets over France.
mocracy and is now a military "The French and British peoples tyranny is ridiculous. The death aid not need a lesson in courage, penalty is not for propaganda but They
want calm energy and prompt resolve so that they would not be broken in their resistance to Hitler," he concluded.
tor treason."
The column, a moving mass of small tanks, armoured cars and
Ee hinted at further measures motor transports loaded with troops, stretched nearly five miles and
LONDON, May 16 (Reuter) to deal with sabotage and trea- was progressing steadily at a speed of about 20 to 25 miles per hour. Smarting under the lightning Bri-chery in France. He said that the The tanks were leading and the long line of vehicles, mostly bunch-tish air attack"on German troops ed at the Maastrict end of the road, rradually thinned towards thrusting into the northeast Tongres where they were some 20 yards apart.
corner of France yesterday, when Breaking up to aid the approach.scores of British dive-bombers and diving to within 1,000 feet of "plastered" the German advance
Power Of German Reich BRIDGES DESTROYED the ground, the bombes formation to bring it to an early standstill Put To Supreme Test
Battle Of
Of Belgium
The Chinese victory, the dally declares. has made foreign and Chinese cireles realise more China's formidable power of re sistance strengthened the «Chin- ese people's confidence in the ultimate victory and hastened the collapse of the Japanese · mill-
The Chinese American Dally
went into action. One after the the German Air Force made a LONDON, May 16 (Reuter)-The News. American owned Chinese
other the Blenheims attacked inį savage reply today. Air Ministry announced that in CHUNGKING, May 16 (Reuter) paper, saic
"editorial the Allied air attack in the Sedan
quick succession and from dif- "Reuter's special correspondent Chinese forces captured Chang-that the Chinese victory testifies area yesterday, several, pontoon ferent directions. High explosive with the R. A. F. In France says, talkwan. Japanese base on the to the efficacy of China's strategy. bridges at the crossings of the great craters in the road surface bombers swept over the area of bombs of heavy calibre tore that wave after wave of Nazi Pinhan railway, yesterday noon, a and affects not only the Sino-Ja- Meuse were destroyed. Chinese High Command communi- !
situation but also
piling the vehicles in hopeless con- the British aerodromes, and the panese que claims.
fusion, while large numbers of explosions of salvocs of heavy world situation.
smaller bombs played havoc with bombs have been heard every hour the personnel.
.n
an
the
Later over 150 "Allied aircraft attacked the crossings and the main lines of advancing reinforce menta
Four bridges were destroyed, tank and troops concentrations were broken up and roads were blocked.
The Nanyang-Koshan, also the,. DOLLAR STEADIER Nanyang-Sinyang highways are
Meanwhile, the Chinese dol- now cleared of Japanese troops,”
lar has grown steadler on the the statement adds. "The Chinese
Shanghai market as a result have captured Tanghsiencheng, of the Chinese victory. 'strategic point on the highway be- Commenting of the large selling-i
trien Slangyang and Huayuan „
out of foreign exchange for Chin- "On the highway between Han-ese currency by speculators during The German advance in the kow and Ichang. the Chinese are the past few days, an American Sedan area was halted by this attacking Tienmencheng. About economic observer stated that the operation and the French were 40.000 Japanese troops are at pre-principal reason was, China's vic- Fenabled to launch ୫ vigorous sent surrounded in the vicinity of ❘tory
Increase 01, export, counter-attack, Tsaoyang with the Chinese steadi-though Germany's Invasion ly closing in The Japanese rush-Holland and Belgium had a great ed two brigades from points on the deal to, do with this. lower Yangtze River to reinforce | "
and
of
troops surrounded north-west of THEY DO NOT LIKE Hankow
"General Itagaki, Chief-of-Staff of the Japanese Forces in China, is reported to have arrived in Han kow to personally direct operations In view of the desperate situation of the Japanese there."
IT DONE TO THEM
TOKYO, May 16 (Reuter) The Japanese Government has lodged
ALLIES SCORE
Throughout the day extensive bombing operations were also carried out on other parts of the battle front. Considerable damage. was inflicted on the enemy and enemy fighters were accounted for. During the night bombing raids
a vigorous Protest with the Peru-were carried out in Gemany on vian Government in connection the enemy's lines of commuпICE. with the anti-Japanese riots in tion. Lima.
Apart from the operation in the, KUNMING RAID
The Foreign Office spokesman. Sedan area. where success could SHANGHAI. May 16 (Reuter-Mr. Suma, stated at the press con-
ference that according to a re-not have been achieved without Two Japanese squadrons raided:
casualties being sustained, the port from the Japanese Charge Kunming and Kweiyang yesterday d'Affaires in Lima, riots aimed at balance of aircraft losses remains morning, according to the Siwan the exclusion of Japanese residents heavily in the Allied favour, pao. which adds that detalls are had broken out there and the oc- Reconnaissance patrols have not yet available.
currence of such an affair was flown along the Dutch coast greatly regrettable in view of the where many wrecked aircraft are frlendship which hitherto marked seen on beaches and fields round Japanese-Peruvian relations
The Hague..
ARMS TRANSIT
TOKYO, May 15 (Reuter-The transit of arms to China through French Indo-China, which has been suspended for some time as the result of the Japanese aerial attack on the Yunnan railway, has been resumed following completlom of repairs, according to inforna- tion reaching Tokyo.
It is estimated that 16,450 tons or goods, Including munitions, have been transported to China through French Indo-China, 8,000 tons by the Yunnan Railway and 7,450 tons by the Kwangst route.
MEUSE PROBLEM Continued from Page 1
Germans Suffer Heavy Losses In Tanks
Hitler's Best Troops Used
In The Sedan Push
LONDON, May 16 (Reuter)-German attacks on Allied positions ale continuing without respite on a line right through Belgium and down the French frontier near Luxemburg-
In operations on this scale it is always difficult to get a clear up- to-date picture but statements made by responsible quärters in Lon- don and Paris have given an, outline of the positions late yesterday
we are face to face with a situa-afternoon. tion of a serious nature which
The Dutch province of "Zeeland is still in Allied hands. Over
A
would be fully to underestimate the frontier in Belgium, Antwerp is the bastion of the British left but which is, by no means, des- flank. perate. Far worse damage was suffered and repaired in the last war."
• Discussing the Empire's reaction
Further soath the Allles are holding positions covering Brusstis on the line down to Namur,
OBJECT ACHIEVED The initial attack brought great success' and by the time the last Blenheim had swooped down through the hall of rifle and machine-gunare to drop its bombs on the convoy, there was a mass OL, damaged cars and overturned transports and the whole column and the road effectively blocked.
"RESIST TO THE
BITTER END” LONDON, May 16. (Reater) "Resist to the bitter end for. the sake of the fatherland. I am proud of you.”.
This message has been sent by King Leopold to the com- mander, officers and soldiers at Liege, according to the Brussels radio.
Louvain Again Sacrifices
PARIS, May 16 (Reuter)-Lou- vain, whose irreplaceable intellec-; tual treasures were burned by the Germans in 1914, is again passing through. martyrdom, ne- cording to a French correspondent with the Belgian armies.
Louvain is a city a short dis- tance east of Brussels.
The correspondent writes that the results achieved by the Ger- man air force against purely mill- (tary objectives are in no way discouraging to the Allied armies whose concentrations are DIO- ceeding without damage and perfect order,
MURDERED CHILDREN
But the brutal tacties of ter- rorising the civilian population and massacring without mercy show that the German troops are
faithful more than ever
to the pitiless precepts of Karl TOC Clausewitz.
1.
The German attacks are heavy at some points.
The correspondent, says --that have crossed the river and built there was distress on the faces some bridges.
The
'JAMBLOUX ATTACKED
to Germany's latest outrage The Times saya: "The Joint contribu
French counter-attacked tion of the overseas Empire to the From Paris comes the news of with varying success. common effort has already been an attack at Jambloux, some 30. The situation does not appear considerable and very much grea- miles south east of Brussels on the bad, said a French spokesman yes- ter than the Germans believe, pos- railway line to Namur. The enemy terday. sible,"
attacked with tanks but did not The Germans crossed the river After pointing but that the men press very strongly, with the result at Sedan on Tuesday. It is sald have shown the same qualities as that he suffered heavy losses ea- in the last war, The Times con-pecially in the tank section. cludes, "Furces are being organised, A French counter-attack especially by the great Empire Air
drave the Germans back. Training scheme 'which will prove South of Namur the line runs „decisive when they can be thrown "via Dinant and Sedan. The
into the scale,
Germans are "making a great effort to cross the Meuse at this sector.
HOPE IN VAIN
that they used the best troops of the German Army for the push.
As a result they have a four or five mile sallent in this sector.
The French "fortifications" "here jare not really part of the Maginot Line although they are sometimes referred to as such.
of Americans who accompanied him at Louvain at the sight of houses gutted by aerial torpedoes and the bodies of murdered wo- men and children.
Louvain wag largely rebuilt through American generosity.
BATTLE RAGING IN SEDAN LONDON, May 16 Reuter) Competent military circles in The Germans have dented the London state that the Allled left Most of the German attempts förtified zone Sat Sedan but they fank in, Belgium will now he. have been driven back but some have yet to meet the main de-resting on the bastion of Antwerp
three points between Namur and]
"It is partly this fact that moved Hitler to stake so much upon his gambler's throw in Scandinavia have succeeded, notably at two or fences. and the Low Countries in the hope of forcing a victory, before the nations of the British Empire can make a full contribution to-the common cause. It is a hope which will be made in vain by the bravery
Dinant,
·CROSSED RIVER
Here the German advance guards
and tenacity of the Allied forces BRITISH STUDENTS
now bearing the brunt of the at- tack."
LONDON. May 16 (Reuter)-The German High Command announ- ces that the capitulation of the Dutch Army was signed at 11 am, yesterday by the responsible Com- manders-in-Chief.
LEAVE ROME. LONDON, May 18 (Reuter)- Students of English, Scottish and Canadian colleges in Rome left this morning for home,
and the river Scheldt.
POSITION CONSOLIDATED
Continuing south the Allies are The French have consolidated sels and attacks which are heavy
holding a position covering Brus their position by counter-attacking in some places are developing. and driving some of the Germans into the river,
The most serious fighting is at The counter attack, however, wag Sedan where the Germans cross- not completely successful and thused the river and are, in possession a five mile salient remains.
of a portion of the defensive Fighting is still in progrese but zone thereabouta-1
the position does not change the enemy is in a not too favourable Line has been turned or broken. It is denied that the Maginot position, with their forces, massed...
Italians in Turkey and Egypt are with the river right at their backs. Sedan does not form part of leaving and private interests are A French spokesman ́said that the Maginot Line and It is under- being liquidated in Cao and Tur-all the necessary units were in this stood that Zeeland is still in ́ our kish cities.
hands.
sector,
or so since two o'clock in the morning.
Small TOUDS of fighters, still "kicking hard" despite the terrific strain 'on the handful of pilets flying them continuously since last Friday, engaged the raiders, "
ENEMY SHOT DOWN
1
In
Dutch Defeat Examined By The Daily Mail
LONDON, May 16 (Reuter)~~The DAILY TELEGRAPH, in an article headed "War to the Utmost," says it is now. clear that Hitler has decided to put the power of the Nazi Reich to the supreme test in the battle of Belgium and the Meuse.
The paper comments: "Neither in France, nor in this country, is there any illusion of veiling the formidable task before our armies. Such an effort means a hard and fur- ious struggle and we must be prepared for vicissitudes. By 6.30 p.m. they had bagged "It means also there is an neutrality and German decency, two Dorniers and eleven Messer-equal certainty that the lead" schmidt 110's the cannon-Aringers of the Nazi Reich will find; fighters which were escorting the it necessary to strive every bombers.
nerve for a decision now.".
Anti-aircraft fire is stated to have accounted for four other enemy aircraft.
that more must be done on the The article concludes by saying.
home front, particularly" in thei sphere of production,
On the measures taken to control aliens in this country, the NEWS-CHRONICLE DE gests that in circumstances, it is desirable that all persons should carrý... identity cards with photographs.
The DAILY MAIL considers that A German air gunner who
the Dutch 'defeat was due to the baled qut of a crashing Dorner, The NEWS-CHRONICLE, writing failure to build ап adequate landed in a village where 16 cavi on "Collapse of Holland." states air force and states that, if we had lians, mostly women. were killed the fate of Holland was sealed equality in numbers with Germany by bombs yesterday. R. A. F. when she committed, many months in the air, the issue of the Meuse. guard had to shield him from the ago, to invite Allied co-operation battle "would not be in a moment's anger of the "villagerő,"
and to put her faith instead in doubt."
and
First on sand. our selections of swim the choice of ladies fashion, perfect fit and
Our lines of bathing
fully
See our latest collections of
men's trunks. All colours, all sizes.
first on
sta! costumes are" who want smart complete comfort!
requisites are represented
(2nd Flr.)
CHINA EMPORIUM, LTD.