The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-06-15
Japanese Tanks Move ToBorder Of Blockade
Continued from Page l,

anese-the Asiatic Petroleum com- pany steamship Yan Tai Shan ran the blockade this morning with foodstuffs and with Chinese civil ians, dispatches said, and the Jap nriese announced that they would net at once against it.
 A serious situation was threaten ed here when an estimated 2,000 Chinese gathered on the race course road, leading to the British conces- sion, and tried to march into the British area. British troops, their rifles bayonetted, were given the alarm and took up posts across the road outside the gates.
 The crowd stopped before the British sentries. But plainclothes men, whom British suspected of be- ing Japanese and Korean operatives of the Japanese army, tried to urge it to action.
 Sponsored Chinese Guards
 Japanese earlier had disclosed a plan for Japanese-sponsored Chi lese guards" to hold mass meet ing in order to denounce the atti- tude of the British toward Japan
 They threatened also to order Japanese residents of Tientsin to march through the British conces- sion, ostensibly to decorate the graves of and memorial to Japanese troops killed in the Boxer rebellion In 1900.
 Vegetable boats broke the food phase of the Tientsin blockade this morning when they steamed up the Hai river to docks in the British concession.
 It was indicated that this relief would be brief.
 A Japanese navy spokesman said at Tokyo this afternoon that though the navy had not so far been involved in the Tientsin blockade it was ready for "any- thing necessary"
 Marines in Circle
 As at Tientsin, where there arc 233 United States marines, Ameri- can fightingf forces were involved in the new blockade of Kulangsu.
 The Japanese started their new, determined bid for control of foreign areas in all China by making test case of alleged terrorism" at Ku- 1angsu.
 They landed marines there May Il. and American, British and French naval commanders retorted by landing parties of their own. .
 The Japanese then withdrew all but 42 of their men. The commando ing admirals decided to keep AZ men each on the island as long as the Japanese remained.
 Negotiations were attempted in- termittently, but broke down each time. The last break, it was indi- cated, occurred last night and the Japanese began halting boats this morning.
 Will Tighten Up More
 It was reported that they intend ed to tighten the blockade pro- gressively, as they were doing here.
 The Japanese were reported to have delivered an ultimatum to the foreign governing council of Ku- langsu, demanding immediate ac- ceptance of Japanese proposals" fos reorganization of the municipal council so that the Japanese would have control.
 The council was understood to have protested against the blockade as Illegal.
 The Japanese steadily intensified the rigor of their blockade here. It was estimated that traffic into and out of the British and French con- sessions, past the Japanese infan- try pickets with their barbed wire barricades, was two per cent or nor nal. Two thousand out of the 100, GOO Chinese who customarily enter the concessions daily to work, braved the Japanese picket line yes- terday.
 Individuals Can Pass
 The Japanese still permitted in- dividuals to pass, but after a per- sonal search which became more deliberate and thorough. Yes terday a search took IS minutes and some Britons were forced to remove their stockings. Today many British men were forced to strip to their underclothes.
 The Japanese erected loud speak CTS before their sentry posts today.
 "So sorry we are giving you lots of trouble they announced, but it is inevitable to suppress communists who have established a base of operations in the British concession
 Foreigners in the concession, in- Tnnnn nrnN TAY