1940-01-11 — Page 4

THE CHINA MAIL, JANUARY 11, 1940

ABE'S REGIME TOTTERS Wang Puppet Plan A Political Brain-Teaser

DUTCH ARMY PLANE IN TROUBLE

(SPECIAL TO “CHINA MAIL"}

Brussels, To-day.

A Dutch military plane carry. Ing two officers made a forced landing at Windmarsdonck, near Antwerp, yesterday. The plane was not damaged.

The plane was forced down ow. ing to fog and lack of fuel, and will be permitted by the Belgian authorities to leave to-day-

Havas.

NAZI GAS ACCUSATION REFUTED

London, To-day.

It may be recalled that at- tempts were made by the pro- paganda authorities in Ger- many to explain away the defeat of the Graf Spee by al- leging that the British crui- sers used mustard gas.

ať These allegations were denied the time by the British Admiralty, which stated that no mustard gas, had ever been grenades or shells made for or used by the Royal Navy.

The charges were, however, re- peated and an attempt was made to the give them substance by citing opinion of a German Uruguayan doc- tor, Dr. Walter Meerhof, whose Nazi proclivities are well known in Mon tevideo and who by his mission based his opinion testimony of photographs. DISPOSED OF

own

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PROGRAMME ALLEGED TO BE COOKED UP

SHANGHAI, TO-DAY. THE "CHINA PRESS,” IN A LEADING ARTICLE SAYS THE MOST INTERESTING POLITICAL BRAIN-TEASER IN JAPAN TO-DAY IS WHE- THER PREMIER ABE'S DESPERATE EFFORTS TO SET UP A CENTRAL REGIME IN CHINA WILL FINALLY SAVE HIS TOTTERING CABINET.

· The newspaper adds it is clear that the programmes for organising such a regime arè being used by General Abe purely as political weapons to ward off those attacks which threaten to overthrow his

Cabinet.

They are cooked up, says the jour- nal, without the powerful support of the Japanese military or an im- portant and powerful section of it, namely the Japanese army in North China.

After recalling the North China Japanese military spokesman's re- cent statements to the effect that the Japanese army chiefs in that area had not been previously In- formed on the plan and want no part in it, the "China Press" can- cludes:

MAKESHIFT PLANS "The makeshift eleventh-hour plans

of the Tokyo Government to set up a central regime have only one direct sponsor and that is General abe. whose political fortune may be saved by the immediate establishment of a

Chinese 'government."

"Many Japanese observers are able to see through this scheme arranged by General Abe, and no wonder they are saying to-day that General Abe is bartering away Japan's new order in East Asia for another month in the

Router. the Premier's office."

WANG SPOKESMAN'S STATEMENT

Shanghai, To-day. The Japanese authorities Wang Ching-wei are almost far away as ever from reaching a the final agreement despite all excitement that has appeared in the press recently, Reuter told to-day by an authoritative source connected with Wang's entourage.

the

The report of the medical commis- sion ofcially appointed by Uruguayan Ministry of National De- fence, particulars of which reached London yesterday, finally disposes of these bascless charges.

་

signa- The document, bears nine

"After tures and reads as follows: careful examination of all the wound- ed and sick from the battleship Ad- miral Graf Spee treated in the Mil- tary Hospital and in the Pasteur Hos- pital the special technical commis- sion appointed by the Director-Gen- eral of the Army Medical Corps de- clares it has found not the slightest trace of symptoms which could give rise to the suspicion that they had been affected by war gasses."-British Wireless.

LEGACY OF LAST TIME

London, To-day. Twenty-one years after the Great War the Pensions Ministry is still spending £38.000.000 each year.

This fleure was given by the Pen- slons Minister yesterday when speak- ing on the work on his department, and. he added that in 25 years £1,850.000.000 had been spent on pensions alone.

Although 800' new cases were dealt with each year, the number of bene«. ficiaries hnd now fallen to 850,000.

Saying It was impossible to speak too highly of this rublic spirited #02 tion, Sir Walter Womersley dia that 48 pensioners voluntarily quished their pensions

tions

war.

and

as

was

He added that the only new de- velopment that had occurred in the negotiations had been that the terms of the general agreement ago reached some three months had been drawn up into a formula and deliberately allowed leak out In Japan-presumably for purely Japanese domestic reasons.

on

The wide general reasons which Wang Ching-wei was to set up a government were agreed as long ago as October, Reuter' was informed.

These corresponded generally to the terms suggested by." Prince Konoye in his broadcast in De- cember, 1938.

FRUITLESS DISCUSSION

Since then there has been con- ap- siderable discussion, on the `plication of these general princi- ples, it is stated, but hitherto it has been found impossible agree on detalls.“

to

Notable among the difficulties are control of the Customs, the number:

power-of

Ching-wel Japthese

and the construction devondent, army,

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LEGAL

ASPECT OF BLOCKADE

CHAIRMAN OF S.M.C. GUARDED

(SPECIAL TO "CHINA MAIL")

Shanghai, To-day. Following the attempt on the life of Mr. Godfrey Phillips, Secretary-Gen- eral of the Shanghai Municipal Council, ex- traorinary precautions are being taken to guard Mr. Cornell S. Franklin, the American Chairman of the S.M.C.

Mr. Franklin is never allowed to be alone, and plainclothesmen follow him everywhere day and night. Havas.

NEXT. A.D.C. PLAY

Maugham's

London, To-day. Professor J. L. Brierley, in a broadcast talk, discussed the legal aspect of the Bri-

For their first production of 1940, tish blockade of German ex- the A.D.C. have chosen Somerset ports as it affected neutrals.

German violation of the Declaration of Paris by the sinking of both Allied and neutral merchant ships regardless of the nature, ownership or destina- tion of their cargoes, the violation of the Submarine Protocol by which she undertook as recently as 1936 not to sink merchant

08-

wittiest comedy, **The Circle," which is to be presented at the China Fleet Club for four nights, February 21-14 inclusive.

The play concerns the complications and reactions which ensue when Lady Catherine Champion-Cheney, who thirty years before gave up all "for love" and ran away with a married ships without suring the safety of their crews, the man, is held up as an awful example violation of the Eighth Hague Conven- to her daughter-in-law Elizabeth, who tion which bound her not to lay mines is seriously thinking of doing the without taking possible precaution for same. The situation is very amusing- the security of peaceful shipping, ren-ly worked out and the play is full of dered perfectly justifiable, according scenes and situations in which all the to international law, the British re-author's gifts for witty comedy and taliatory action of seizing German ex-biting cynicism are seen at their best. "The cast" contains-a-number- of old ports.

GOOD LAW

Hong Kong favourites, including He- stalwart Admittedly neutrals were adversely len Prior, who has been a affected by the British Prize Court stand-by of the Hong Kong A.D.C. for was laying down good law when, in many years now; Cyril Champkin, in similar circumstances, during the last the part of a crochety and irritable old war, it stated: "The right of retalia-Peer, always having trouble with his tion is the right of a belligerent not a false teeth and with original ideas on concession by a neutral. Retaliation the sanctity of Bridge; and Winnie Cox, was a legal right which could not as Elizabeth. It will be remembered great always be exercised without affecting that Winnie Cox played with neutrals and for the law to lay down distinction in a former production of that in no circumstances must it, do the ADC, “Night Must Fall." so would be to take away with one hand what the law had given with" the other.

Beth Smith Wright has a small part, and "among the newcomers is E. B Teesdale, who is shaping very well in "It was the definite policy of the the part of a somewhat "tough" plan- Germans to attack Britain through ter home on leave from the F.M.S. neutrals by illegally sinking neutral All the proceeds will be devoted to shipping to prevent them from trading the British War Organisation Fund. with us. All that could be done was

to ensure that the retaliatory-action Inflicted as little inconvenience sa possible on neutrals. That certainly was being done in the present British retaliatory action. Under Order-in- Council, a neutral ship Incurred no penalty but was merely required to discharge 'goods laden in a German port or which is of German origin. British Wireless..

:

PEIPING "GOVT:S”

BUDGET

Pelping, To-day. The budget of the Japanese-spon- sored provisional government has

to been increased

$200,000,000 (Federal Reserve Bank currency) for the present fiscal year. Reuter.

Mrs. Hanneson of No. 4, Felix Villas, while walking in Mount Davis Road

CANADIAN AIR OFFICERS IN ENGLAND about 6 pmn. yesterday, was attacked

London, To-day. by a Chinese who attempted to match An Air Commodore and two Group a brief case which she was holding Captains of the Canadian Air Force She struggled with the man and he have arrived in England to familiarise ran away on hearing a car approach- themselves with the working method: | ing

Wang.

visers,

of the Royal Air Force.-Reuter.

between the viewpoints and Wang Ching-

similar detaili

ide to-day

Mrs. Campbell of No. 156,

Street, has reported the lus handbag and contents,

her car which was pa residence.

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