The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-08-25

torn, fire-swept international settle- ment of Shanghai was desperate There was grave danger that mad dened Chinese soldiery would Dc driven Into the settlement areas guarded by U. s. and British forces,
 Additional French and British troops arrived and more were en route or preparing to embark. Italy was sending Q battalion Of her savoia grenadiers from Ethiopia and i,200 U. s, marines were packing their war kits at San Diego,
 Within Q month, it was estimated that armed forces of Britain, the U. s., France and Italy in the Shanghai area will be more than 5000 mon,
 The Japanese blockade of chi- nese shipping was announced by Vice Admiral Kiyoshi Hasegawa, commanding the imperial third bat- tie fleet here.
 It Is designed to prevent Chinese troop movements by water and to prevent Chinese vessels with war munitions from entering the great ports of Shanghai, Ningpo, Wen. chow, Fooehow, Annoy, swatow and Q dozen others.
 Call In More War Vessels
 Admiral HasegaWa, in announcing the blockade, said it would De un. dertaken by ships of his third fleet, It was believed, however, that scores of additional war vessels of the first and second fleets would have to Do called into action. A cruiser and four destroyers already have taken up positions at SWatoW, HaSegaWa emphaslged that the blockade docs not affect foreign and Japanese shipping. Such an action, it was said, could not Do taken without formal declaration of war which would force application Of the U' B. neutrality laws against both Japan and China.
 The ominous possibility remained, however, that virtual general blockade would be enforced aS munitions for the Chinese armies including airplanes and other equip" ment from the United States, was on the high seas in foreign vessels Britain In New Move Meantime it was reported that Britain had started new diplo. matic offensive designed to clear both Chinese and Japanese from Shanghai where Britain already has lost more than Sib0,000,000 of in. vestments totaling more then a bil. lion dollars.
 Tn Nanking the Central Chinese government officially announced re. ceipt of the new British proposals flor cessation of hoStilities h the Shanghai area"
 "These proposals are acceptable to China in principle in the event Japan likewise will accept them" Foreign Minister Wang Chung Hui said. There was no word from Tokio, however, where the British charge d'affaifes, ]. l., Dodd, has been in constant contact with the Japanese foreign office.
 Diplomats thought the peace move had little chance of success and saw the Japanese coast blockade or- der as one move against it,
 They said the blockade would pre-. vent Chinese junks from Tightening cargo to and from foreign vessels and feared the gravest complica- tions when the Japanese start seiz- Ing foreign shipments as "contra- band of war"
 starve Helpless Chinese
 Chinese charged the blockade was q move to "starve more than 200,- 100000 helpless Chinese civilians"
 The bulk of China's food supplies move along water routes in junks and small ships, 1t was pointed out.
 Chinese batteries ct kiangwan and Tazang, at the mouth of the Whangpoo, began Q heavy artillery shelling of the Japanese positions around Woosung late tonight.
 Shells bursting in the Chapel dis- Lrict Of Shanghai and ct Tazang and kiangWan, between Shanghai and Woosung, indicated that the Jap- anese were replying with vigor.
 Japanese warships opened Q pombardment of Pootung. across the river from Shanghai. The Chinese retreated up the river towards Man. tao in sampans, some leaving from the Dollar inc wharf.
 Volunteers patrolled the bund, Shanghai's waterfront, manning sand bags and barbed wire barri- cades in case the Chinese in Potung tried to cross the river Into the rn- ternationai Settlement.
 Japanese were expected to bomb the Chinese concentrations at Man. tao heavily.
 Fight on Five Fronts
 All day there was fierce hand to hand fighting on five fronts in the vicinity of Shanghai aNp all re- ports indicated that the Chinese were resisting stoutly.
 By mid afternoon the horizon be- yond the metropolitan area was ringed with flames from villages where Japanese troops and Chinese troops were fighting.
 Japanese airplanes for hours methodically boinbarded and left a Fiew FfnR of death and deVaekation