Tokyo, June 4.
"Ignoring Chinese world-wide pro poyands, Japan must destroy. all Chinese military bases," the "Nichi-Nichi" said yesterday in an editorial Hankow administration be anni-
"Taking advantage of the recent air raids. by Japanese aircraft, Gen. Chiang Kai-shek's government is now making desperate efforts to persuade the world that the Japanese are guilty of indiscriminate attacks on defenceless cities" the daily, de'
Tokyo, June 2, Japanese airmen attacking the rail way station in the vicinity of Canton fare experiencing great difficulty, stated Rear-Admiral Noda,—spokesman for the Ministry of Navy, today, The difficulty, Rear-Admiral Noda declared, arose from the fact that the airmen conscientiously avoid fying over the Shameen International Gettlement."
The marksmanship of the Japanese aviators, he said, was accurate, and therefore there was no damage done to other establishments than those used for military purposes, Rear-Admiral Noda cited raids on Hankow as an example of Japanese marksmanship, stating that "Chinese civilians in Hankow feel unperturbed Japanese air raids, except those living near military establishments,"
Rear-Admiral Noda referred to the "Japanese alr raid on Hankow on May 31, when nine Japanese raiders engaged over 50 Chinese planes, mostly of Soviet manufac Hawks." ture, and including some Curtis
The Japanese alreratt, he said, shot down 20 of the Chinese planes, One Japanese "plane was missing.
said, but all the others had returned. safely to their base, sarAdmiral Noda said that "the total number of Chinese bullets:
Which hit Japanese "planes was less than ten, showing the standard of Chinese marksmanship."
He added, "Chinese airmen usually avoid) engagements with Japanese "Although the Naval Section the Imperial General Headquarters. and a spokesman, of the Foreign Office had clarified the actual situation in special statements, it appears to be urgently necessary now to clarify Japan's fair and just actions."
Similar propaganda, the journal wont on, was tried by the Chinese last winter, when they accused the Japanese of bombing civilians in Nanking.
"It was later demonstrated," the daily said, "that the Chinese asse tions were exaggerated propaganda."
Canton, like Hankow, has now become a centre of anti-Japanese activities and military operations, the *Nichi-Nichi" said. The city, it added, is well defended by antiaircraft guns. Therefore, the daily said, air raids upon such a city are indispetisable to the overthrowal of Gen. Chiang Kai-shek.
The journal emphasized that Japanese naval airmen avoid all possible damage to the interests of third Powers and innocent evilians—
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.