Evening star., 1932-02-07
TRUCE DEPENDS ON CHINA'S
WITHDRAWAL, SAYS SI1IOSAWA
Japanese Fleet Commander Declares Land
ing of Naval Forces Is to
Protect Countrymen.

would be left standing if the Japanese
used bombs of 10 times that force.
Our object" the admiral said, rs
not to destroy the Chinese Army, but
only to force it to withdraw"
Asked whether it would be neces-
sary to use other parts of the Interna-
tional Settlement as a base for military
operations against the Chinese II the
18th japanese Army Division were
brought to Shanghai, Admiral ShiosaWa
said that although Japan lad the legal
right to do so, it had no intention OF
using any part of the 1nternational
Settlement as military base, except
the Hongkew district, where is located
the permanent headquarters Of the
japanese naval landing forces.
The admiral declared, specifically
that the landing forces would continue
their operations until the 18th Route
Army withdrew to a safe distance.
Asked if Japan intended to continue
to occupy the captured territory, the
admiral replied: "Japa, nas no inten-
ton Of occupying any Chinese terri
tory. AS soon as order can be main
tanned by the Chinese municipal au-
thority Our force will withdraw, pro-
yided the 10Th Army has gone back a
sufficient distance to guarantee safety
from attack"
Asked under what authority the Jap
anese military reServistS had acted dur
ing the period when they were patrol
ling the HOngkeW district of the settle
ment, taking over the duties of the reg
lllar Shanghai municipal police, Ad-
mlral ShiosaWa explained that the re-
servists were a body of self-governing
volunteers who had assisted the Jap
and Interpreters, since the bluejacketS
were not familiar with the city. He
said that while he had the authority to
curb their activities if they were found
to be illegal, they did not take orders
directly from him. He said that un-
doubtedly during the first few days Of
excitement some of the reSerViStS may
have lost their heads, but he was able
to understand and appreciate the cause
of any excesSes they might have COM
mitted.
Denies Starting Fight.
The admiral repeated the eXplana-
ton recently issued in the form of a
statement by the Japanese Minister to
China, Mamoru ShigemitS, declaring
that the Japanese did not initiate the
hoStilities on the night of January %.
He said the japanese forces which
poured out of concentration points at
Ills pm. on that date, going into
Chinese territory traversed by extension
Of settlement roads, were merely oCcu-
pying defense areas assigned to them
according to the general defense scheme
of the settlement itself The japanese
bluejaCketS, he said, were fired upon
by the Chinese and hoStilitieS were
thereby precipitated.
He did not explain the significance
Of his statement issued at 8 pm. on
that night, that the japanese were
sending forces into Chapel for the en-
fOrcement of law and order" a state
ment which has been generally inter-
preted as a declaration of hoStilitieS.
The admiral confirmed the loss of
one japanese airplane at Chenju yes
terday. He said the plane was not shot
down in combat with a Chinese plane,
as widely reported, but was believed to
have been hit by anti-aircraft gunhre
He also confirmed a report that Jap
anese plane had been forced down at
sea near WooSung, and said it came
down because of lack Of fuel. It's pilot,
he said, had been picked up by the
American steamer Hanover.
The admiral said that widely pub
lished report of yesterday that Japa-
nese troops had occupied Woosung forts
was erroneous No japanese troops
have arrived. he added and he eX-
pressed belief that all the guns in the
Woosung forts had been disabled by
naval shell fire.
fCpnvripht 1922