Soon afterwards, Japan instigated a Chinese traitor, "Yin Ju-keng, declare the demilitarized zone in-Gopendent of opel and warnea Nanking that she would not permit force to be used against him. Next Japan occupied the northern portion of another Chinese province, Charhar. Then she tripled her military force in North China, Towards the end of ast year Japan tried unsuccessfully to conquer still another Chinese province, Suiyuan, Since 1035 the Japanese statesmen have reiterated their so-called "immutable" deter mination to bring five more of the provinces of North China under their control, 'The peculiar relationship between 'China and Japan~singularly one-sided—can better be understood if you will imagine for a moment that jan allen force from' overseas had seized the New England States. As fa matter of fact, the four Northeastern Provinces of China, generally known as Manchuria, are much larger than your New England States. They Thave an area of $00,000 square' miles, which. is practically equivalent your New England States plus Texas, 'oF about the size of your two largest states, namely, Texas and California combined.
'But to get on with this simile-~ suppose that this alien force which seized your New England was using that territory as a base for the conquest of the rest of the country, but particularly the Atlantic Coast States, say from' Virginia northward and extending west to include the territory of the Great Lakes through Michigan, Wisconsin on. Into the northeweit, Now, the city of Peiping, former capital of China, which is Japan's immediate objective in the fresh crisis which she created ton days ago, is located like Washington about eighty miles inland from the sea coast. Our outlet on the coast Tientsin, just as New York or Philadelphia or Baltimore are outlets of Washington. Prior to the present crisis, Japan stationed 7,000. soldiers. at tientsin" and 3,000 "soldiers at Peiping and its neighbourhood, much in excess of the number allowe under the Boxer Protocol.
Beginning of Trouble At 10 o'clock on the evening of Wednesday, July 7, a detachment of these Japanese' soldiers were conducting manoeuvres with live ammunition Instead of blank cartridges, beneath the walls of Wanping, a town garrisoned by Chinese troops. Waning is close to the Marco Polo Bridge, Wwhieh is one of the most famous edifices of the kind in the worl The bridge gets its name from the well-known Venetian traveller who visited China In the 12th Century.
But to return to the imaginary situation in the United States, which T outlined to you a few minnies ago, I think you will agree with me that if an alien force stationed in Washington should conduct night manoeuvres in the country a dozen miles outside your capital and is bent upon creating. a etisls, It is easy to imagine how trouble might develop, Well, trouble did develop.
According to the Japanese, one of "their soldiers engaged in the night manoeuvres was missing. Immediately afterwards the Japanese detachment demanded that they be allowed to enter Wanping at 12 ofelock at night for the announced purpose of search-Ing for their missing soldier. The Gemand was rejected and thereupon the Japanese bombarded the city. They also started to destroy the Marco Polo Bridge.
Chinese Return Fire Within Jess than {wo hours Japanese reinforcements arrived to participate the attack. Under this provocation the Chinese troops returned fire for the first time. Why did the Japanese single out Wanping and the Marco Polo. Bridge for this onslaught? Both g places are strategically important, Because they are within the Chinese defence system and furthermore command railway which runs south from Peiping to, Hankow Central Yangtze. The Japanese Tong desized to control that strategic point In order to isolate Peiping. A Year ago, they used the same tactics and succeeded in gaining possession Of a strategic point at Fengtai on the Peiping-Mukden Railway.
As a result of these clashes on the night of July Tand the subsequent Jdays, the Japanese have declared belt intention of occupying more of northern territory. In order to kup. their expansionist profaramme, within @ week 25,000 Japan-jose soldiers have been moved into the Peiping-Tientsin district "to chastise the outrageous Chinese" according to the statement made by their senior foflleer. It has been further announced in Tokyo that the Japanese intend to send five full divisions, which means that they will shortly have 100,000 troops in North China.
The Japanese troops have already taken "over the Chinese " Peiping-
Maten Company works of the injured to the pel Riot Squad armed anth tons rites and sub-machine they were: SButance "nnd. taken "to fans, was called upon te restore order after Taetory" and eat considerable damage. One 2 rlesenghbliet and others were, inured workers, had. stormed the the aietkers was. hit by Sowa. The Settlement Soochow Creek. leonsequences if these warnings are Jaot heeded,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.