Hongkong, Feb. 4, With the renewal of" Japanese threat to invade Kwangtung, no river vessels left here to-day for Canton, [There is no information as to. the factual situation in the mainland, although the advice to foreign vessels to clear off the Pearl River is be-Meved to be a temporary measure.
No ships will sail from Canton to Hongkong to-day. The passages through the boom at Second Bar and Bocca Tiyris are now closed as a precaution against Japanese naval Invasion following the attempts of destroyer No. 21 and 29 to rush the Bocca Tigris forts on February 2, The two destroyers utilized an off tanker as a screen to pass the forts, which opened fire on the Japanese warships, which thereupon steamed out, to 9ea.
The attempt of the two destroyers fo rush through the delta was to test the "strength of the shore batteries and may be the forerunner. of a [stronger naval attack. The Canto Kowloon Railway and the highway can still be of service but they are subject to daily aerial attacks of Japanese planes. The Hongkong Canton express train service three times a day has been reduced to one owing to the frequent air raids on the line, Japanese "designs on South Chin are resorted also through politic means, Messrs, Chen Chungefu and Li Sze-hao, pro-Japanese politicians, fare reported to have secretly arrived in Hongkong from Japan. for the purpose of winning, over malcontents In South China to set up_a so-called wonomous regime in Kwangtung, Mir. Chen, of Chekiang, is an expert fon conditions in South China, as he was a member of the former South= west Political Council and came south the invitation of the Jate Mr. Hu Hanemin, Me, Li is an obscure figure in South China, "The people in Kwangtung and South China are loyal {0 the Central authorities, while the daily death and destruction by Japanese planes which bombed Kwangtung two or three tinies a day Ihave aroused the deep animosity wid have made it im= possible for puppet politicians to gain any headway at all, 'Japanese bombers showered leaflets urging the people to support a new leader, referring apparently either to Mr, Chen or Mr. Li, but angered by the massacre of the bombers, villagers tore up. such handbills as' soon as they were dropped from Japanese planes.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.