Imperial Valley press., 1932-02-01

SHANGHAI, Feb /. U.PE-Japa-
nese and Chinese fired heavily to-
day in shattered, fire damaged
Chapel, as japanese sought to
tighten their stranglehold on the
Hongkew area, scene of weekend
sniping and bitter Japanese re-
taliations.
The sound of mortars, guns and
rifles echoed through Chapel, the
Chinese quarter torn by aerial
bombardments at the opening of
the japanese Shanghai occupation.
Nervous tension was at a high
pitch, relieved only by the news
that American and other reinforce
ments are enroute to safeguard the
lives and interests of the foreign
colony in the International set
tlement.
japanese meantime acted to geo
firmly within their grasp the
Hongkew region, partly within the
settlement where over the sabbath
they had bayonetted and machine
gunned Chinese suspected of snip
ing occupiers.
Capt. Baron Sameyima, COM
manding the Japanese marine
quarters, notified settlement police
today that all police stations
manned by the International police
in Hongkew must close, and that
no settlement police should appear
on the streets between p. m. Mon
day night and 5 a. m. Tuesday.
This course was contrary to the
agreements under which the inter-
national police function.
The Japanese have cleared from
the district many of their citizens,
and there is a fear that these
maneuvers forecast fate for much
of Hongkew like that meted
Chapel.
The armistice between Chinese
and Japanese, more honored in the
breach than in the observance, was
still functioning technically today.
and the British and American au-
thorities were striving to patch it
up into a forceful instrument.
However, there appeared little
chance of success, and there were
reports it had been definitely
shattered.
Truce Not Operating
American Consul Cunningham
and others involved refused to
comment on the reports that the
truce was definitely cancelled and
that Japanese marines tonight
were attacking Chinese positions
and bambarding Kiangwan and
other Chinese troop concentrations.
kiang-Wan is a Shanghai suburb
within the limits of the native city.
The arrival on Friday of the 3lst
United States infantry will mark
the first landing of American
troops-other than marines-in
Shanghai since 1900 When Rear
Admiral Montgomery M. Taylor
arrives on his flagship Houston, he
will be the ranking foreign admiral
and will assume control of the port.
The position of the foreigners
may be such by that time that the
combined American and British
forces may have to demand that
the Japanese leave the settlement
or face forceful election, the con
sequences of which would be far
reaching.
Interest in what steps Taylor
would take to regain the neutral
status of the settlement was keen.
Chinese-Japanese hostilities on
large scale appear inevitable.
While this dispatch was being
written, rifle and machine gun bull
lets ratified around the building
housing the United Press offices.
Just across the garden bridge over
| the creek, japanese marines we're
in control of Hongkew.
An American girl tried TO cross
| the bridge but was halted by
japanese marine and was refused
passage even with an escort OF
settlement police. The girl wanted
to reach her baby In an apartment
house in the French concession,
where it had been taken for safety.
The japanese marines had left
the post office, which they had oc-
cupied. and ii was guarded by q
Russian detachment OF the Shang-