1937-12-22 — Page 1

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Hongkong Daily Press.

Registered as a Newspaper at the General

Post Omice in the United Kingdom.

Served in the best places

ESTABLISHED 1857

Later, Supreme Court

No. 34751. £***** ı±т HONG KONG, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1937. # #### Price

*

Harada And Nishi

Stand Firm

Will Not Budge From Statement

Shanghal, Dec. 21.

Pressed by correspondents Major-General Harada and Lt. Col. Nishi refused to budge from the statement that Japanese army boats did not fire on the U.S.S. Panay, but admitted that they machine-gunned Chinese launches which were attempting to flee from the vicinity including the launch Lidab which they claimed to have captured and taken to Nanking.

no

They declared that the machine-gunning of the Panay was inconceivable because the Japanese had

enmity towards Americans, and pointed out that Japanese troops ashore bombing by waving a tried to stop the Japanese plants from flag.

were

SO grateful that They said the American wounded they gave these Japanese soldiers oranges, sweets and cigarettes. Lt. Col. Nishi left before the conference was Anished and ex- plained he was flying to Tokyo, presumably to make a detailed report to the War Ofice.

Major-General Harada declared that it has been definitely.'

commanding the established that Colonel Kingoro Hashimoto, Japanese troops in the Wuhu area had no orders to fire on all ihips on the Yangtze.

Asked re Colonel Hashimoto's statenient to the Commander of HMB. Ladybird that he had such orders, General Harada said Col. Hashimoto, stating his instructionă, amitted to mention "enemy." General Harada declined to reply whether Colonel Hashimoto was the same man who was involved in the Tokyo coup in February 1938- British

DORADO IN

MISHAP

9

SAWing Damaged When

We

Landing At Hanoi

were

informed yesterday evening that the RMA. Dorado

sustained slight damage to her. right-hand undercarriage. wheel and right lower wing when land- ing at. Hanol yesterday afternoon. The Dorado was on a special flight to Hong Kong 'carrying freight which she was not able to bring on the usual fight owing to the Christmas mal.

The R.M.A. Delphinus is leaving Kal Tak this morning to pick up the freight from the Dorado. at Hanoi and if conditions are suit- able she will return to Hong Kong to-day.

The Dorado will remain at Hanol for two or three "days" for repairs, it is understood.

DEFENCE OF

KWANGTUNG

Famous Generals Entrusted With Mobilisation.

Canton, Dec. 21. In connection with the move. ment launched here to mobilise all able-bodied men throughout Kwangtung to stand ready Lo resist any attempted invasion of the Province by Japanese forces. the mobilisation programme has been entrusted to the following: Generals Tɛni Ting-kai and Chiang Kwang-nga!, former com- manders of the now-defunct 19th Route Army, General Hsiang Han-. ping, deputy-commander of the 4th Route Army, and Generals Li Fook-lum and Chen Chen-yu- Central News.

DE. BABA DEAD Tokyo, Dec. 21: The death has occurred of Dr. Baba, former Finance Minister in the Hirota Cabinet Bluter's Bulletsh Service.

THE DOLLAR

T.T. ON NEW YORK:-30-15/16 T.T. ON LONDONGDIL 2,7/80.

Landon Silver Market

Difficult Year Reviewed

URBAN COUNCIL

MEETING

The last meeting of the Urban Council for the year was held yes- terday afternoon. In a general review of the past twelve months. Mr. R. R. Todd (Chairman) men- tioned the cholera epidemic which descended on Hong Kong in the suminer. the disastrous typhoon of September 2 and the problems caused by the influx of refugees from the war-stricken zones.

Mr. Todd said:-

"There little doubt that the cholera was introduced from Can- ton at the end of July. It soon assumed. epidemic proportions, the peak of the epidemic being reach- ed at the end of August, after which there was a gradual decline until the end of November when the last case occurred. In all there were 1,890 cases. with 1.081 deaths, which represents a stor- tality of 64 per cent.

"The disastrous typhoon which struck Hong Kong in the early hours of September 2 exacted a further heavy tall, running Into

(Continued..on Back Page)

SIR CHARLES LITTLE INDISPOSED

Vice-Admiral L. G. E. Crabbe as- sumed temporary command of the China Station from yesterday yice Admiral Sir Charles Little who I indisposed.

hoisted

Cameral Manager

CHRISTMAS BINOCULARS

AT GIFT PRICES!

Wa announces timely sale of new shop-soled Binoculars of the bent makes (Zeiss, etc.) at greatly below list price.

LAZARUS

1.PTICLANS

6. Pedder Street.

(Single Copy, 10 cts

Per Month. $3.

Lost Divisions TRAGEDY OF CHINA'S

Show Up WAR REFUGEES

CANTONESE TROOPS How A City Handled The

HAVE NARROW

ESCAPE

Hankow, Dec. 21.

Admiral Little's " Two Cantonese divisions, com-

Problem

Vice-Admiral Crabbe's dag was on H.MS. Cumberland yesterday and

transferred to HMS. munded by Generals Teng Lung- SELFLESS SERVICE OF flag was Falmouth. Rear Admiral R. D. kwan and Yeh Shao respectively,

Holt has assumed 'temporary com- mand of the Yangtaze Flotilla.

(Admiral Sir Charles Little is only slightly indisposed and is resting in Admiralty House),

OUTER MONGOLIA

To Pledge Allegiance To China

Q

Shanghai, Dec. 21. Much speculation is aroused by the report that Outer,Mongolia will shortly announce "voluntary dissolution" of the Republic of Outer Mongolia and pledge alle- glance, to China and join the war against Japan.—

Rea

INVASION OF SOUTH CHINA IS

NEAR AT HAND Japanese Transports Leave

Shanghai

..

WAR WIDENING ON MORE

SERIOUS SCALE

Shanghai, December 21: The threatened invasion of South China appears to be near at hand.

It is learned from usually authoritative sources that two Japanese transports have arrived at Bias Bay which for many years has been the lair of notorious pirates whose usual procedure was to travel as passengers then suddenly seize control of the skip and make for the Bay and there decamp with the booty and hostages.

IL

If the Japanese succeed in landing at Blas Ray it is expect- ed that they will try to fight their way to Canton, cradle of the Chinese revolution, where anti-Japanism has been especially acute.

The two transports are probably

first of a large fleet for a num- ber of troop-laden ships are known to have left Shanghal during the past week carrying soldiers who saw service on the Shanghai and Wush fronts.

The Japanese are expected to rely largely on bombers operating from Formosa as well as aircraft carriers and Chinese islands off “hina now under Japanese occupa- tion.

all equipped with the most up-to- date weapons for war.

of

The impending Invasion Kwangtung and the Japanese drive northward from Pukow and the

extension possible

of Japanese operations to Shantung "all show that the Sino-Japanese war widening on a more serious and compileated scale. Reuter.

FIVE TRANSPORTS LEAVE Sharghal, Dec. 21: It is learned that As to how well the Bias Bay re-

fve Japanese transports gfon is defended it is difficult to carrying altogether 10.000 or 11,000 say, though according to some re- troops left Shanghai during the porta it is strongly fortified and night. The destination is believed manned by crack Cantonese troops i to be South China,

PANTOMIME A

GREAT SUCCESS

"ROBINSON. CRUSOE"

Forsyth Scores. As "Popeye"

The Christmas pantomime "Robinson Crusoe" was presented by the European Y.M.C.A. Amateur Dramatic Club last night and was an outstanding success.

Based in the main on the ever popular story, the play was dramatised" by J. D. MacLean and produced by A. C. Houghton".

A novel feature was the introduc-

Reuter.

FOREIGN ORDERS FOR KRUPP

Essen, Dec. 21. The locomotive department of the Krupp Ironworks at Essen has received several big foreign orders. The Argentine State Raliways have ordered ten steam locomotives with six-axle tenders; the Govern- ment of Iran has ordered 24 simi- lar engines with four-axle tenders, and a further 23 are being built for the South African Railways and Harbours.— Praninceas

(From Our Own Correspondent)tion of Robinson Crusoe's sweet-Cables

London silver

NEWS INDEX

London, Dec. 21. heart, Rosemary, who accompanied Finance

prices to-day the hero on his long sea voyage. Leading Articles were up 1/8 for Spot" and The role was ably performed by Radiu Programmen......Page unchanged for "Forward," as fol- Margaret McAlpine. The role of Local Diary, low:-

Page 6, 8, 9.

„Page, 12, 13

.....Page 8

..Page 5.

Robinson Crusoe was splendidly Mail Notices

Page 16.

ward.

Dec. 20. 10 .18-9/16

Dec. 21.

18-7/8:

taken by Sheila Mackinlay. Their Shipping..................... singing was charming.

Page 15.

The Bervices

„Page 7

18-9/16

(Continued on Back Pare)

Sport

Page 10,

ITALY IS

ANGERED

Eden's Statement · In Commons.

:

Rome, Dec. 21.

The Italian press comments angrily on Mr.. Eden's statement in the House of Commons regarding Italian anti-British propaganda in the Near East. '

One paper states that Mr. Eden's statement consisted of excuses to conceal British bad feeling towards Italy. The "Populo d'Italia" de- clared that the British are har bouring revenge on Italy over the Abyssinia episode.

"Vindictive is a pure English word and has been given to a British warship." says the prper.- Renter's Bulletin Service.

the which defended the hills to east of Nanking, and long given up as lost, have now arrived at Anhwa Province between Hsuan ! chen and Hwelchow, according to à dramatic account of their espipe through Japanese lines, given over the long distance telephone to the

·Generalissimo's 'Headquarters · late last night by General Yeh Shao,

The divisions, which were de- fending Pachuashari, east of Nan- king were cut off on December 13, after the fall of Nanking. They hid in the hills in the daytime and marched at night and slowly found their way into Anhwei, via Tongshan, Wuhu and. Hunanchen.

engagements fighting many

route.

Reuter

SPANISH WAR NEWS

en

WORKERS

BY ROBERT F. FITCH

MISSION

Some complain that the Chinese do not do enough for them- selves... Why then appeal for outside ald? In order to answer this question through my own personal experience, let me give a ple- ture of one month's stay in the city of Hangchow, a city where it has been my privilege to reside for the past thirty years.

On the afternoon of October 23. just as I was leaving Shang- hat on the "Hsin Peking,” then bound for Ningpo, I received a call to become publicity secretary for "War Rellet work for the National Christian Council of China."

In the five minutes left for making a decision, it came upon me as an almost overwhelming conviction that for me not to visit the scene of my former labours and see old Chinese friends and to experience with them something of the sadness and the terror of a city waiting to be destroyed with incendiary bombs would be unworthy of my former years of friendship and sense of loyälty to them.

There also came the thought that perhaps the intensity of such experience might better åt me later to enter upon the new and temporary work to which I was called.

REFUGEE BELIZE

During the following month, for Chicntang railway bridge, the it was on November 23 that I left Hangchow and the whole provincë, Hangchow, the Shanghai Western, had been charged with dynamite district had fallen, Nantad was subject to destruction on the peasi- London, Dec. 21...

about to fall, the Japanese were; ble entry of the Japanese. To-day's engagements mark the

advancing on the railway from seventh day of the Spanish Gov- Shanghal through Sungkong, Ka- ernment drive on the Teruel front shan and Kashing, cities covering which is also claiming successes and

the first half of the distance from tating that the Insurgents lost

Shanghal to Hangshow which had forty per cent. of their troops; been heavily raided with incendiary Artillery bombardments are helped by searchlights and it is reported that Government machine-gun. posts are so placed that they could fire into the centre of the city..

Three Insurgent counter-attacks during the day were repulsed and it is reported that at the end of the day the ring around Teruel has tightened..

Reuter's Bulletin Servite. - ?

TOKYO FIRE

Tokyo Dec. 21. More than eighty persons, most- ly school children, perished in the fire last night at the village of Minamitomita, Wakayama Prefec- ture, as they were watching a cinema performance of the hostili. ties in China. Reuter.

PERSONALITIES

I bombs.

The Japanese had also landed on the Hangchow Bay near Chapoo, and at last the more general st- tack on the city was felt day to be imminent. Railway stations at and Żakow had been Hangchow bombed. The railway workshops in the latter place had also been destroyed, and at lest the new

+

EXPLOSION

Tokyo. Dec. 21: An explosion in the centre of Tokyo caused three deaths and injury to five others. Men "were working in an under- ground railway under construction when gas escaped from the main which set affe ten houses nearby. -Reuters Bulletin Service.

The Chinese love their city xe tho Swiss love Switzerland. It is not only a city-of-homes, but one. which had been further improved by the indefatigable efforts of its mayor, Z. Y. Chow. It has special | cultural interests and organizations such as are not to be found in the more material life of Shanghai. It was at this time I decided to study the war conditions of Hangchow to see what the Chinese from their own initiative were doing for them- selves.

(Continued on Page 2.)

AMERICA'S THANKS

Hankow, Dec. 21. The American Ambassador, Mr. Nelson T. Johnson, has formally. thanked the Chinese Government for "prompt and generous assis- tance" rendered to Pansy survi- vors by the Chinese magistrates.of Hohsten and Hanshan.— Reuter.

AT THE VALLEY RACE. MEETING

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