1939-05-05 — Page 25

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FRIDAY, MAY

5. 1939.

日六十月三

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CHINA'S CAPITAL BECOMES A FUNERAL PYRE FOR 3,000

Greatest Air Raid Reduces City

To Shambles

By ROBT. P. MARTIN, "United Press" Correspondent

CHUNGKING, To-day.

CHINA'S WAR-TIME CAPITAL HAS BECOME A FUN- ERAL PYRE FOR THREE THOUSAND OF ITS CITIZENS.

The most horrifying air raid the world has ever known has reduced the city to a shambles.

Flimsy wooden buildings which house a war-time population of one-and-a-half million people are providing fuel for seven great con- flagrations, compared with which the burning of Canton and Hankow during the Japanese occupations are mere bonfires.

THE BOMBERS have broken through.

Despite the greatest concentration of Chinese planes seen during the war, and despite the almost impregnable chain of anti-aircraft batteries, atop the mountains that almost surround the city-the topography is greatly reminiscent of Hongkong's-thirty-two of the thirty-eight warplanes which set out from the Japanese base at Hankow roared through the defences for the second time in 48 hours.

HAILSTORM OF BOMBS

They dropped over 100 bombs in a raid that lasted less than an hour.` The inevitability of fires through Chungking's narrow streets of rotting wooden buildings was foregone.

Light incendiary bombs dropped like hailstones at the city's most vulnerable points.

They were accompanied by great torpedo bombs-500 times as heavy as the incendiaries-and crash. succeeded crash as the city shook and crumbled before the onslaught.

TERRIBLE FATE

Hundreds of victims died without knowing what had happened. But a more terrible fate awaited-still awaits--hundreds of others.

They have been buried alive in the debris of n stricken city:

Now that the raiders have gone, everyone hus turned feverishly out to assist in the work of rescue.

Fire, menacing and terrible, is licking through the ruins from several directions.

Cries become shrieks as many of the trapped victims realise the fate that is approaching them.

There are raging and uncontrolled infernos in seven separate parts of the city,

Buckot Gange

There are no water mairs with which to fight them.

to

PAOCHI

SIAN

NANKING

ICHANG

Path Of Death

CHUNGKING, Later.

Children were the most pitiful people are fleeing into the mountains, victims. I saw eight, obylously of their one thought to get away from ono family, huddied near the door this horror that has come so sudden- There are no pumps and hose

of a wrecked tenement. They werely upon them. ail dead.. bring a quenching food from the yellow waters of the Yangtse, 200 The most horrifying thought is the hundred feet below in the narrow Inevitability of those flames, licking gorge.

steadily at the heart of the city. It Instead, great chain bucket gangs seems that nothing can stop those have been formed. They are pass- great conflagrations, which through ing buckets of water from hand to jout last night turned night into day, hand-to provide a meagre and pitiful dribble against the ragtig,

3,000 Diod all-consuming Infernos.

estimates

Chungking FROM THE YANGTSE

Sagres Seizure

Protests

LONDON, May 4.-Quos- tioned in tho Houso of Commons about the Japaneso scizure of the British steamer Sagres on April 8; Mr. R. A. Butler stated that representa- -tions-had-baen-made to-the-| Japanese authorities in China, and the Foreign Office in Tokyo, for the release of the vessol-Reuter..

Beck Will Be Firm, Forecast

LONDON, May 4. COLONEL BECK'S. speech to-morrow is being awaited throughout Europe with almost as much interest normally attends the utterances of Mr. Chamber- lain and Herr Hitler.

as

NEW LIGHT ON RESIGNATION

Anglo-Soviet Deadlock?

LONDON, May 4.

THE SOVIET Foreign Minister's re- signation has come as a surprise to diplomats, whose first reaction is that it may represent a victory for the Soviet isolationists who are opposed to M. Litvinoff's policy of co-operation with the western powers.

Newspapermen conveyed the news to the. Soviet Ambassador here at the annual dinner of the China Society, but he refused to comment.

Other Soviet sources also declined to give any explanation.

Soviet sources, however, have been predicting during the past few days that the Soviets would break off negotiations if Britain and France failed to accept the Soviet offer of an ironclad mutual assistance pact.

It is thought, therefore, that the isolationists, who ure believed to include military chiefs, feel that it is useless to seck Franco-British aid in halting aggression in Europe and that the Soviets should withdraw behind their own frontier, from whence they could repel any direct attack on the Soviet Union.--United Press.

"STUMBLING BLOCKTM

TOKYO, May 4.

GERMAN JAPANESE political circles, which appear to be well-informed

TROOPS MOVE importance to reports reaching [on events in Russia, attach great

Berlin, May 4-Storm troops Tokyo that Great Britain and and army units, with anti-tank Authoritative Comments in Soviet Russia have failed to guns and other artillery, have advance are made in Paris and reach a basis for agreement.

DALADIER REAFFIRMS Borlin

·POLICY

"The

In Paris, it is emphatically clear: that France is determined to stand by Poland, who is to be the sole judge of whether her vital Interesis are affected. The French Cabinet

will meet on Saturday morning.

A Warsaw despatch says indications to-night ure that Colonel Beck's speech will be firm, but not provocative.

Hoar Speech In H.K. HONGKONG listeners will be able to hear Col. Beck's speech at 6 pm to-day HK.T.

been leaving Munich In

a

It is believed that the negotia-northerly direction. tions have reached a stumbling Only П comparatively few block on the question of the troops remain in the town. inclusion of the Far East in any military pact that may be reached. described as in no way out of The movements are officially

It is reported in Tokyo that the Soviet has insisted that the proposed the ordinary.Reuter Special.

from the

Prematuro Concessions

LATEST

Liberal Press Confident

Japanese circles_bolleve that the retirement of M. Litvinoff may be traced to his concessions to Britain, especially his willingness to exclude the Soviet's Far Eastern frontiers, from an agreement.

On the other hand, the influential LONDON, May 5-This morning's "Rokumin Shimbun", expresses the newspapers

the stili speculate on opinion that M. Litvinoff has been reason for the dropping of Litvinoft dismissed by M. Stalin in order to The "Time", "Now, Chronicle" relations with Great and "Dolly · Herold" are all of the opinion that tho negotiationg between

PARIS, May 4. M. DALADIER, the Prime

The "Voelkische Beobachter" in Minister, made the following Berlin prints an article by Dr. Josef Breement should apply equally to statement to the press to-night. Goebbels declaring the Polish de-Europe and the Far East. Britain thands to be Intolerable, and blaming and France, however, have been "The newspapers announced this Britain for encouraging Polish endeavouring to persuade the Soviet morning that on Thursday next the Chauvinism. It is assumed that Herr to exclude the Far East.

agreement. Government would make a declara- von Ribbentrop will discuss Colonel tion in the Chamber about the inter-Beck's pronouncement with Herr Japanese sources claim that Britain national situation.

Hiller before going to meet Count and France, nevertheless, promised that they would extend more vigor- "I believe that stances, I should wait no longer, but

ider these circum-Ciano to-morrow night. under

that us assistance to the Chinese Govern- should state now what the general

men and would not opt of that declaration will be.

despatch of Soviet volunteers to the assistance of Chinn, attitude of France defined in

Poland does not intend to close the my broadcast speech of March 20 has not changed, and will not change. door, and Colonel Beck is expected External events are sufficient to con- to make counter-proposals to the There is a path of death a mile firm the legitimacy and necessity of German demands.--Neuter. and a half long and 500 yards wide our policy of vigilance and fineness, through the heart of the business This policy has the approval of the section of the war-time capital. entire country as has been proved by But the herole work of the fire the consultations and decisions of the brigades and volunteers is gradually deportments and Assemblies.

the bringing

under raging fres

It will be relayed by the new One blaze has completely sur-3,000 have already died. It is

control.

Raising Doubts

short-wave station at Treasure Island, rounded the Methodist Episcopal greatest death roll the world has

Only two now threaten the city and "However, it's seems that both in San Francisco, Hospital. An American couple, Mr, ever witnessed from an air raid.

They are partially under control.-

The station is audible in Hongkong strengthen France and in foreign countries, in- and Mrs. W, A. McCurdy, succeeded

Thousands of coolles, have been exact information and tendacious on the 31-metro bund, and listeners that all in escaping from their home just as foreigners seem to have escaped with the Bre zones in order to create fire-facete object being either to un- ZBW-2, the Hongkong short-waver, in its opinion. Other newspapers been affected-Reuteri

drafted to tear down houses around comments are distorting the real may tune it in if they first tune in This newspaper is apparently alone Britain and Soviet Russia have not The Canadian French Mission has Vachlos, United Aircraft representa-elty.

breaks and thus save the rest of the dermie the determination of the and then move the dini a fraction to declare that the withdrawal of M. been

Litvinoff means a total reversal of devoured,

towards KZRM. and the nearby tive, had a miraculous escape from Canadian School, from which Mr. and the Chinese hotel in

the Soviet foreign policy and a return An English commentary which his

tha San to the original policy of Isolation Mrs. Arnold Vaught and Hr. offices were situated Foreign pilots of one Japanese bomber was brought about the clarity and consistency of speech will be given by Theodore White

Domici Francisco atation. had miraculous the C.N.A.C., who also lived in the down. escopes when it was struck by an in- hotel, had previously evacuated, The

The Central News" Agency office

The speech will also be broadcast "I cannot protest, emphatically cendiary bomb, has been reduced to hotel was demolished, and later was partially destroyed.

Bombs struck the Bellish and enough against such distortions of the by VLR, the Melbourne short-wave Lashes.

truth. In reality, the international afation. Commentaries on the speech French Consulates. The British Consulate was occupied altuation is, completely clear in- Will be given by this station at 8.39 eclipse of M. Litvino has caused

8.50 p.m. by I have Just returned from a tour pitals,

by the Ambassador, Sir Archibald asmuch as the variaty and abstruse. pm. by KZIM at Kerr Clark Kerr, who witnessed the themselves into one angle question, at 10 p.m.

neas of the chief problems resolve Daventry at 9.15 pm, and by Zeesen of the burning and devastated elty. The floors were literally dripping

entire raid.

namely, whether unilateral domina- Even now, na' I write, the

groans with blood as foreign and Chinese

The German Embassy was endan- tion, or collaboration is to prevall in and shrieks of hundreds of people doctors hopelessly attempted to cope fered at one stage, but was saved by Europe. trapped below the wreckage is with the constant stream

of dead Bremen-United Pres. resounding in my esni.

the flames reached it.

Tour Of City

As I walked through the city walls -continued to topple and I saw many

who escaped, the Initial disaster die In these new dangers.

Unofficial

state that

the

The amazing thing is

bul minor Injuries. Mr. * V.

burnt.

Hospitals Packed During the night I visited the ho-

Government and the nation, or

A Chinese communique clutms that raise doubts In foreign countries

French polley,

Britain And Poland

an

GERMAN BOURSE BOOMS BERLIN, May 4.The sudden bom on the Berlin stock exchange. Financial circles see in the removal of the Soviet apostle of· collective security the possibility of the Soviet- Union leaving the ranks of those countries whose for Gerideny. policy Is directed ag The Stakes

These hopes are not, however, fully It is therefore in the last resort, the Polish Foreign Under-Secretary, shared by well-informed Berlin the safety of France and the future Count Szembek, for on, hour yester- elteles, where the first reaction (ta deep In Chino's war-time capital, which was of civilisation which is at stake, and day, and that he suggested that the marked by a desire to await further, debris, and thousands of terrifled | PLEASE Tum To Pago 4.

PLEASE Turn To Page 4,

PLEASE Turn To Page 4.

PLEASE Tum To Pese 4.

and dying carries in from the streets.

They carried out operations without

rest throughout the night.

Many, streets are knee

Hugo Firen

CHUNGKING, May 5.--Chungking,

.

Warsaw, May 4. 11 is understood that the British primarily Ambassador was in conference with

Soo Back Page For

Further, Latu „Novos

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