1938-06-15 — Page 9

CHINA'S GREATEST FLOOD DISASTER THREATENING

Yellow River Peril Likely To Be At Height In July

Enormous Areas A.A. GUNS TO BE SIR JOHN REITH Menaced: Gloomy

Gloomy GIVEN PRIORITY TO TAKE OVER Forebodings

Shanghai, To-day.

THE REAL DANGER LIES IN THE FACT THAT NORMALLY

RISE CONTINUES THE RIVER'S

PROGRESSIVELY

END OF THROUGHOUT JUNE UNTIL NEARLY THE JULY, WHEN THE FLOOD CLIMAX PERIOD IS REACHED.

Add to this the weakening of the, removed over 100 field guns to the dykes both by Japanese bombard- dyke outside the north city gate.- ments and

Chinese Central News. deliberate

|

London, To-day. IMPERIAL

In Commons' answers on anti-

aircraft defence, the Secretary AIRWAYS

for War intimated that the Gov-

ernment had decided to give full

and effective priority to the pro- duction of anti-aircraft guns of modern type in relation to the

Although the present floods of the Yellow River are reaching serious proportions, affecting the Jap-

LONDON, TO-DAY. anese Army and adding to the miseries of

SIR JOHN REITH, DIRECTOR- GENERAL demand for other types of gun.

OF THE BRITISH Chinese farmers on top of months of warfare along the Lunghai Railway, old China hands

He forecast early announcement (BROADCASTING CORPORATION, of details of the reorganisation now WHO HAD BEEN ASSOCIATED declare that these are only minor matters. EVERY YEAR THE RIVER STARTS RISING ABOUT THE BE-in progress to ensure that full and WITH BRITISH BROADCASTING given to SINCE HE BECAME THE FIRST GINNING OF JUNE AND TEMPORARY FLOODS ARE A undivided attention be

every aspect and detail of anti-GENERAL MANAGER OF THE FREQUENT OCCURRENCE.

aircraft defence in view of its speci-BRITISH BROADCASTING COM- al importance in relation to general PANY IN 1922, HAS BEEN AP- POINTED NEW CHAIRMAN OF military requirements.

IMPERIAL AIRWAYS. Reorganisation was also neces- sitated by the great expansion in

Sir Kingsley Wood.announced in Mr.

the Commons that the Board of personnel, regarding which Hore-Belisha observed, that recruit-

the ing for the anti-aircraft divisions Imperial Airways had, with

full concurrence

Govern- of the was proceeding with such remark- Shanghai, To-day. able speed that the first divisionment, invited Sir John Reith to be wholetime chairman of the com- According reports received which a year ago was 10,000 was

pany and he had accepted. here yesterday evening, thousands now 20,000, and the second division have been drowned by the floods of which was 9,943 a year ago the Yellow River. A' catastrophe numbered nearly of overwhelming dimensions ap- pears imminent so that the mili- tary operations for the time being' are completely overshadowed by these forces of nature. It. seems practically certain that the Japan- ese will find it impossible to con- JAPANESE REPORT

tinue their offensive in the pro- Latest Japanese reports say that vince of Honan. The south dyke a wall of muddy water is sweeping of the Yellow River burst at no across the abandoned battlefields fewer than 15 points between Kai- in the plains of Honan and has feng and Chengchow. Trans- already caused the' deaths, it is Ocean. estimated, of 150,000 non-

wrecking and, with regard to these present floods, old China hands say there is no knowing what may happen.

Should the heavy rains con- tinue, they freely predict an engulfment of Hsuchow and the River rushing back along the old bed laying everything before it waste through Honan, Shantung, Kiangsu, until it finally disgorges its waters in the neighbourhood of Haichow.

combatants.

Chungmow is reported to have been turned into a huge lake more than a yard deep while many villages are said to have entirely disappeared under the water.

The entire Engineering Corps of North China has been mobilised in an effort to close the numerous gaps in the dykes of the Yellow River-Reuter.

CATASTROPHE IMMINENT

to

MISSIONARIES UNHARMED

Shanghai, To-day.

All British and American mis- sionaries at Anking are unharmed and mission property undamaged, in the Japanese occupation of the city, according to Japanese reports which add that sentries have been posted at the entrances of the mis- Two thousand Japanese troops sions to prevent lawless elements around Weishih, about 50 kilome- from causing damage.-Reuter. tres south of Kaifeng, are facing||

TROOPS IN TROUPLE

imminent

Chengchow, To-day.

the annihilation by COMPROMISE

Chinese and by inundation by the

roaring flood waters.'

After crossing the Lunghai Rail WAGE AND HOURS

were

way at Chungmow and Paisha. where some 5,000 Japanese reportedly drowned, the muddy (brown waters have been pouring at a terrific rate southeastward along the Chialu.River, already reaching

LEGISLATION

Washington, To-day. The House of Representatives

Chuhsienchen, Weishih and Yen-has approved and forwarded to the

ling.

Senate, a compromise Wage and

In the face of the deluge the Ja-Hours Bill. panese around Weishih attempted

The maximum work week for the

to withdraw eastward yesterday first year will be 44 hours, the but were checked by the Chinese. the second year, 42 hours, and the They are reported to have turned third year and thereafter, 40 hours. The Wage Bill passed the House westward, fleeing in disorder.,

With the city surounded by foam-by. 289. votes to 89,-Reuter. ing flood waters the majority of

Kwok Chun-wong, reported to the the Japanese at Chungmow have

The police yesterday, that on May 4, been withdrawn eastward. small garrison remaining in the when sailing a fishing junk outside city has barricaded the south city Hong Kong harbour, the junk was gate with mud and sandbags. The capsized by a strong wind. He was north city gate is also threatened rescued and taken by another boat by flood which has inundated the to Aplichau. Sixteen of the 'junk fokis are believed to have been northern suburbs.

The Japanese at Kaifeng have drowned.

Wireless.

:

now

19,000.-British

STEEL CARTEL PROLONGED

Paris, To-day.

The board had also nominated Sir James Price, who until recently was Deputy Director of the Minis- try of Labour, to be a Director of the Company which would be able to draw on his wide experience of labour and staff questions. The present Managing Director, Mr. Woods Humphrey had placed his resignation in the hands of the Board and it had been accepted.

The Air Secretary mentioned Board were asking the

At to-day's meeting of the Inter- national Steel Cartel, an agreement was reached for the prolongation that the of the Cartel until the end of 1940. new Chairman to investigate the Although no communique was charges against the management of issued after the termination of the the Company made in the debate meeting, it is understood that no on May 81st and when the investi- changes are being made in prices gation was completed they propos- or quotas except for one or twoled to make a public statement. smaller articles.-Reuter.

British Wireless.

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