Evening star., 1932-01-31
j. S. FLEET READY
TO AID AMERICANS
All Ships Will Be Sent From
Manila Base if Nee
eSSary.
Continued From First PageD

10 the japanese indirectly JnIOu8A Tn
beard OF conSuls in the Internationa
Settlement This was on the basis o
a report to the State Department from
Edwin S. Cunningham, the American
consul general at Shanghai, that tn,
municipal council had filed a proteS
against Japanese military Operatlon
with him as the senior consul of tllt
board Of consuIs.
FOrbcarance Urged.
Secretary StimsOn advised Consu
General Cunningham to lay the pro
test before the consular body, of which
the Japanese consul is a member MI
StimSon. following a conference will
President Hoover, urged upon Mr.. Gun
ningham the utmost forbearance anc
recommended that every effort be madt
to remove by ConCiliatiOn any friction
between American troops and others
including japanese, defending the In
ternational Settlement.
Admiral Pratt was testifying before
the House Naval Affairs Committee
when interrupted. by a summons from
Secretary StimSon Excused by tht
committee, the chief of naval opera
tons went directly to the State Depart
ment for a prOtracted conference will
Mr. StimSon. who previously had seer
the President 1t was on his return
to the Navy Department that the ad.
miral announced his orders for the
ASiatic Fleet to stand by. and addec
in response to newspaper mems in
quirieS. that the Navy would be very
sorry if any other power objected tC
this course, but would do its Job,
nevertheless.
The request for additional destroyer,
in the trouble zone was announced in
the following statement from the Navy
Department:
THE U. S. S. Simpson. destroyer
now at Nanking sent a message at 6
pm, January 80 IS am. January 80
Eastern Standard Time to Rear Ad-
miral Y. S. Williams, U. S. N, COM
mander Yangtze patrol relaying re-
quest from the American consul gen.
eral at Marking for a destroyer at
Wuhu and an additional destroyer at
Marking in view Of the increased pos
Sibility of military operations in that
vicinity.
Marking is approximately $50 miles
up the Ysngtze River from Shanghai;
Wuhu, 235 miles upriVer from Shang-
hal. The Simpson, which is cCm-
manded by Lieut.. Comdr P. w. Rut-
ledge, U. S. NJ, of San Diego, Calf,
has been at Nanking for some time.
Progress of Fight Reported.
dispatches received in the depart
ment from the U. S. S. TruXtun,
destroyer. now at Shanghai, review
events at Shanghai Immediately pre-
ceding the following truce which was
to become effective at 8 pm, January
%. Lieut.. Comdr. s. G. Moore, U. S. N.
tof Paris. Tex commanding officer OF
spaSmodic sniping and fighting occurred
the night of the 29th. following in the
wake of intensive day fighting and
bombing. North Station was practically
destroyed by bombing and fire during
daylight of the 29th. Chinese troops
Of the 18th Route Army continued to
hold the station during the night OF
the 29th, and the japanese cut the rail-
wav line near JesSef1eld Station. out
side of the western boundary OF the
International Settlement. The TruX-
tun stated that 18th Route Army re-
Inducements were reported en- route
to Shanghai.
At .: 80 pm. January 80 G:30 am
January 80, Eastern standard time) the
Truxton reported that fighting OF in
termittent nature was continuing IN the
vicinity of north station, and that re-
ports indicated Chinese forces nave
been increased and the japanese were
losing ground.
Three Points In Complaint.
The reports of Consul Cunningham
showed that the municipal council OF
the International Settlement at Shang-
hal Of which a Britisher is chairman
based its protest to the Japanese admiral
on three points.
,D That the neutrality Of the In
ternational Settlement has been violated
by the japanese.
l2J That the settlement, an lnterna-
tional zone, had been used by the Japa-
nese as a base of operations against
the Chinese.
l3l That Japan had sent troops into
the sectors set apart for troops OF other
nations in the settlement defense
scheme to which Japan had agreed.
The third objection was interpreted
to apply particularly to the sending OF
japanese troops into the sector Occu-
pied by American forces. 1t is reported
that this area is being patrolled oy
japanese against the protest OF the
American commanding officer. Secre-
tary StimsJn's admonitiOn to Consul
General Cunningham that forebear-
ance and ccaciliation be used applied,
apparently, to this situation.
Definite objection was made, also, to
japanese occupation of a section of the
International Settlement bounded by
Honan road. Range road and HongkeW
Creek.
Fleet Will Stand BY.
Every ship we have in the Asiatic
feet" said Admiral Pratt, has been
ordered to stand by to proceed to
Shanghai and offer protection to, or
evacuation of American citizens, if
the crisis develops when mob rule
should break out we've got to go in and
protect our own people-WOmen and
children" The Admiral, gestured as
he talked.
The Secretary of State is a very
busy man." Admiral Pratt said Of the
conference. we send him all the dis
patches we are getting from China.
END he has me in frequently to discuss
khem.
When the Secretary is ready to dis
cuss them I am of course, on call.
There was no especial significance in
yesterdays dispatches. They revealed
q situation. as far as We are concerned,
that was nothing more than normal
considering the disturbances in Shang-
hal" Admiral Pratt emphasized the
Navy would send everything" from
Manila to Shanghai should the need
arise
That is our job" he added. There
Is a long stretch Of the Yangtze River
where Americans are Notwithstanding
Chungking,. Hankow, Wuhu, and SC
forth-and we will provide all the ships
bottoms we have to evacuate them II
mob rule conditions make it dangerous
[or them to remain there.
The operations of the fleet Will be
carried out independently, and objec-
tions from any of the combatants will
have little effect. We can't draw any
line as to who objects. If any one OBJ
jectS we are sorry.
The admiral acknowledged the situa-
ton was critical "aS far as the safety
of American citizens are concerned.
l.. frNNVR n &