Evening star., 1937-10-30
JAPANESE ATTACK
ST|FFENS BRITAIN
Stronger Attitude Likely in
ne-PoWer Talks at
Brussels.
BACKGROUND

bAChGhOUNO-
Three British soldiers killed and
several Uounded yesterday when
outpost OF British section of Inter
national Settlement at Shanghai
aOns struck By misdHected Japd-
nese shell. Anglo-JdpdneSe tension
rose first as result OF rounding OF
British Ambassador to China, Sir
Hughe K,LdtchbuH-Hugessen, on
the road from Nanking to Shang-
hal August 26. British. nationals
in constant peril from japanese
raids on Ndnking, Shanghai and
other Chinese cities.
FL the Associated Press.
LONDON, Oct. 30.-Britain will
enter the nine-power treaty talks at
Brussels next Wednesday. it was in
dicated today, with much sitter
back" as a result of repeated Japanese
offenses against British troops and
property in China.
The troublesome Spanish war nego-
tiations-still deadlocked on the Brit
ish plan for withdrawal of foreign
troops-was virtually shelved over the
week end as British ministers devoted
attention TO incidents in the Orient
and the approaching conference aimed
to curb the Chinese-Japanese conflict.
Soviet Russia's irsistence that the
bulk" of foreign warriors be with
drawn from Spain before belligerent
rights we're granted to the Valencia
government and its insurgent foes
frightened the Spanish neutrality dead
lock yesterday.
Continuance of the impaSse, while
contrary to British hopes, gave His
Majesty's government time in which
to devote undivided Attention to the
Chinese-Japanese conf1ict.
Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden
devoted another of his busy week ends
to the Far Eastern problem, while
gout- afflicted Prime Minister Neville
Chamberlain kept in close touch with
the situation from his country estate.
The sharpest protest yet in the
growing series of representations to
the Toxic government was expected to
be dispatched as soon as the facts
concerning the killing Of three Royal
|. Ulster rifiemen yesterday at Shanghai
became available.
The matter will be aired in House
of Commons debate next week. La
borites were expected to redouble their
pressure for a boycott of Japanese
goods. The government itself was
firmly opposed to any official boycott
but the movement apparently was
spreading among the public.
| Prime Minister Chamberlain, who
left yesterday for his Chequers estate
hoped to return Monday to supervise
handling of the latest incident in the
Orient.
Diplomats in Brussels expressed be-
lief there was still good possibility
the forthcoming conference would
evolve an acceptable plan for peace
between China and Japan.
/ Offers of mediation by interested
| powers seemed still foremost in the
minds of the diplomats as the best
means to halt the warfare, but there
were no indications of any direct ex-
| changes yet.
Diplomats Still Hopeful.
Soviet Russia, which was neither ar
| adherent nor a signatory of the nine
power pact drawn up in Washington
in 1922, accepted an invitation to the
talks. Foreign Minister Maxim Litvi-
noff announced the decision to accept
was based on Russia's interest in Fai
Eastern affairs.
The Russian acceptance followed
close upon the heels Of German re-
lection of the invitation on the grounds
that the Reich was not party to the
treaty.
| Litvinon to Visit Brussels.
BRUSSELS, Oct. 80 CR.-The Bel
gian government was advised today
that Maxim Litvinoff, Soviet foreign
minister, would head Moscow's dele
cation to the Nine-Power Pact Con.
ference here next week.
This brought to four the prospective