1938-01-24 — Page 11

THE CHINA MAIL, JANUARY 24, 1938.

SEARCHING

OF

QUESTIONS

PRINCE KONOYE

Diet Members Seek Policy Behind Official Speech

STOCK PHRASES

HELD UP TO RIDICULE

Tokyo, To-day.

CHILDREN

IN DANUBE TRAGEDY

Bucharest, To-day;' Twenty-two schoolchildren and a teacher accompanying them, are reported to have been drown- ed when the motorboat in which they were making an outing on the Danube, capsized and sank yesterday.

Seventeen bodies have been re- covered so farr.

The Premier, Prince Konoye, was kept extremely busy in the Diet yesterday answering a bar- rage of questions from Mr. Toshio Shimada, leader of the Seiyukai Party, respecting China. Mr. Shimada asked: "What are the Government's

plans for the vast tract of land extending from Rumania, North to Central China and covering more than half of China?

"Why does the Government hesitate to declare war

on China?

"What has the Government done to assist the new regime in China?”

Cause of the disaster, which has spread sorrow throughout

is still unknown. Trans-Ocean.

declare war on China if the neces-

her pockets, for

FRESH TROOPS FOR LUNGHAI OFFENSIVE

Hankow, Te-day.

Sunday brought a lull in the fierce battle which had been raging throughout Friday and Saturday in the area south of the Tientsin Pukow Railway.

Both sides have suffered very heavy losses, but the Chinese are still holding their positions south of Linghaikuan.

2

Fresh Japanese troops, including sity arises, and added that Japan is cavalry

units, not idly hoping, with her hands in have mechanised

in the battle zone, North China regime, but she "felt fresh advance on Tsining.

formation of indicating Japanese plans for a

At the same time the Japanese are consolidating their positions.

Japanese planes yesterday bomb- ed the Lunghai Railway. Damage is said to have been considerable. -Trans-Ocean-

:

the necessity and responsibility" to act as foster-parent until such an toadministration is firmly established.

ALLEGED MUTINY IN WEIHAIWEI

He declared it was ridiculous clare war on China in order to hear the Government's stock prevent shipment of arms to China-Reuter. phrase: "Japan has no territorial] from abroad, whether the Govern- designs on China" on every pos- ment had made plans to control sible occasion.

increases in commodity prices and He demanded to know what the whether the army intended to send Government intended to do with to China more divisions now sta- the vast no man's land detached tioned in Japan. from the control of the Chiang Replying to the last question, the Kai-shek administration:

War Minister, General Sugiyama, said he was not at liberty to make He said: "The Government maya statement regarding transporta- have no territorial designs but whotion of further divisions to China, controls this vast tract of land but as the matter should be given study Japan?"

WHO BUT JAPAN?

Mr. Shimada asserted that there was an absolute necessity of ganising the new regime în China to manifest Japan's firm intention towards land now under her occupa- tion."

before an announcement could be issued.

Prince Konoye repeated the in- tention of maintaining the open door in China.

FOREIGN INVESTMENT He pointed out that foreign in- Replying, the Premier said the vestments were absolutely neces Government not only refuses to have sary" to promote utilisation of land further dealings with the National values in China. administration but has also em- He said that as regards the barked on military and other opera-phrase in the recent Japanese Gov- tions to overthrow it.

HANDS NOT IN POCKET! Japan "does not await the ganisation of the new regime China with her hands in pockets:"

ernment statement "cease relations. with China," it means. that Japan or-does not intend to deal with the in National Government for adjust- her ment of relations between the two

countries.

The Government realised the “And I declare on this occasion necessity and an obligation to that there is no possibility of Ja- assist the new regime in China pan negotiating with the National until it is firmly established. Government for settlement of the

Incident."

The Premier added: "However. this never runs counter to preser- vation of Chinese sovereignty and territorial integrity."--Reuter.

NO POSSIBILITY

- MISUNDERSTANDING Replying-to-interpellations from Mr. Kawasaki, of the Mingeito Party, the Premier declared: "We Mr. Hirota, replying to questions have often announced that Japan by Mr. Kawasaki, said: “There is respects the rights and interests of absolutely no possibility, whatever foreign countries in China.

of any third power mediating be- There has until to-day been tween Japan and China. {

much misunderstanding on the part "Japan is prepared to wait for a of foreign powers regarding the new-administration to arise in position and policies of our coun- China and negotiate with the latter try in the Far East.

for readjustment of relations, and "Japan has not the slightest in- this fact, we believe to be well un- tention of conquering China and derstood by foreign countries."

closing the door to China to foreign Mr. Tsutsumi suggested that the countries. Japanese Government should reject Access by foreign powers to in- any such offer from the Chiang re-terests in China should be kept! gime unless the latter surrendered open, and I feel that foreign invest

Prince Konoye's statement was ments are absolutely necessary to made after Mr. Tsutsumi had en-promote utilisation of land in quired what attitude would be China." adopted should the Chiang re-

gime reconsider its stand.

KONOYE'S “IP”.

* Answering another question, the Chiang

by abandoning armed resistance to Premier said that if the

Japan.

WAR DECLARATION

He also asked whether the panese Government intended to

Kai-shek régime were to survive it would mve to become subject to a ese Government,

that Japan may

new

Shanghai, To-day. According to unconfirmed Japanese reports from Tsing- tao, Chinese marines stationed at Weihaiwei mutinied on Friday.

No details of the alleged mutiny have hitherto been received. Reuter.

AIR RAID IN SEVILLE

Paris, To-day. Eleven children," three women and ten men were killed in a Government air raid on Seville, ac- cording to an insurgent broadcast from Seville.

A Salamanca message says that casualties in the raid are officially given as seven dead and 20 wound- ed-Reuter.

Haig

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JOHN HAIG AERO

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