The Washington times., 1932-01-30
FLOYD GIBBONS
! SEES CLASHES
IMPENDING
Situation Is "FuII OF 0yna-
mite" With Uncle Sam
on "Shaky Limb"
BY FLOYD GIBBONS
Noted War Correspondent and
Radio Broadcaster
Copyright. 1899. by International
News Service)

Copyright. 1892. by International
News service)
SHANGHAI, Jan. 80 Q.N.Sl.
Your headline : hunter lifts
his steel-helmeted head eau
tiously above the sandbags In
the United States Marine dug
out on SoOchow Creek and
softly whispers this broadcast
about today's hot time in old
Shanghai town OIL the banks
of the Whangpoo River far
away.
This boil on Mother Earth's
poor old war.weary neck is gettlng
riper by the minute. Yes, sir, shes
a-gathering.
Increased naval forces Of three
world nations, Japan. Britain and
the United States. are speeding
here under full steam.
Jap Boats In River
Japan's advance guard-three
cruisers, three destroyers, and
three gunboats-all bristling with
guns and with decks cleared for
action. steamed majeStically up
the river this afternoon between
banks crowded with thousands OF
chinese coolies and refugees,
throwing love kisses just as we
would have done in the spring OF
1918 if the German fleet had
steamed up the Hudson.
japanese troop ships with in
fantry reinforcements are eX-
pected tomorrow.
The Chinese. exultant over
forcing the japanese to relin-
quish their hold on advance posi-
tionS, are now getting cocky and
are beginning to send sharp little
messages to commanders of
other international troops inside
the concession.
Future Looks Dark
Meanwhile a truce" prevails,
in which Chinese and Japanese
- continued to shoot one another
while machine guns bark snG
fires continue to spread through
out the fighting area and the
Chinese threaten to bring up
their air force from Nanking to
take air supremacy away from
the Japanese.
She's clouding up-clouding up
like the rolling pillars of smoke
and billows of red flames still
lowering over the Chinese city
which the Japanese bombed so
mercilessly from the air all yes
terday.
This afternoon Japanese irregu-
lars unloaded a truckful of gaso-
line in the basement of Chinese
theater and gave it the business.
The Chinese retaliated by burn
ing a Japanese SchoolhouSe. Both
are burning now
Uncle Sam On Limb
All this means plenty of bad
news ahead for the Japanese as
we'll as the Chinese, but the par
ticular mess which attracts my
attention is the one in which old
Uncle Sam finds himself out on
q limb which may crack at any
time.
I bumped into it at 3 o'clock
this morning when crawled into
a two-story brick blockhouse. a
machine-gun strong point occupied
by a squad of United States Ma
rines on Shoochow Greek. border
ing on the fighting area.
The red glare of burning build
ings was, reflected on the black
surface of filthy Soochow Creek,
on which thousands of Chinese
junks and barges were tied up.
all packed with struggling. sleep
ing and chattering coolies, women,
children and pigs.
U. S. Zone Invaded
You see, the whole interna-
tional concession in Shanghai Is
divided into special defense zones,
assigned east to west to the
armed forces of Japan, the United
States. Britain and France, and
the commander of each zone is
responsible for the defense and
VI OALdb AOllC al OAAAAS
of emergency such as the present.
There are representatives of all
l1ationaltieS in all zones, but the
armed patrols, by agreement be-
tween commanders, are supposed
to confine their movements to the
zones assigned to them.
Well, sir, the japanese have
broken this agreement, and are
now sending motortrucks filled
with Japanese marines and lr-
regulars on patrol duty through
the zone assigned to American
forces, and If you don't think such
a condition is packed with dyna
mite, just ask any American LIE.
gion pal you meet.
I believe !. remarked yesterday
it was a swell time to watch your
step and keep your powder dry.
It's even better advice today. as
sniping and house-to-house fight
ing continues with murderous
vengeance.
NEWSBOY HELD UP.
H0nR