Efforts to eliminate vice and gambling from Kansas City and smash the political machine controlled by Mr. Tom Pendergast, veteran Missouri politician, will reach a climax here tomorrow when Mr. Pendergast is expected to plead guilty in Federal Court to charges of income tax evasion.
Apparently the only explanation for the sudden calling of the court into session today for the Pendergast case was to enable the politician to change his former plea of not guilty to guilty.—United Press.
Hangchow, May 21 With their backs to the Chientang River, 5,000 Chinese troops forming the Independent Fifth Brigade today were fighting desperately for life as five Japanese columns closed upon the precarious Chinese positions.
In a wide-flung outflanking drive, two Japanese detachments on Wednesday launched operations against this Chinese force on the move in areas south of Kashing and near Fengchichen in north-eastern Chekiang. Retreating rapidly towards the Chientang River, the Chinese so far had abandoned 132 killed, field dispatches stated.
Five prisoners, as well as large quantities of arms and ammunition, have also fallen into Japanese hands, according to the reports.—Domei.
Tokyo, May 21.
Japan's attitude towards the European situation was defined at a conference of the Inner Cabinet held here yesterday, Although the news of a decision having been taken is given a flare of headlines in the entire Japanese press, so far no official pronouncement has been issued to indicate its precise nature.
The "Asahi Shimbun" says merely that the Inner Cabinet, composed of Premier Hiranuma, Foreign Minister Arita, War Minister Itagaki, Marine Minister Yonai and Finance Minister Ishiwata took a unanimous view of pean situation and there-led upon the line of policy to be adopted.
Reports that Japan 4"as decided not to enter into a general military pact with Italy and Germany but to adopt an attitude of benevolent neutrality toward these two countries in the event of the outbreak of a general war are described here as pure conjecture. It is presumed in "Tokyo political circles that the Japanese Government itself is still split on this outstanding issue. The Army and the Nationalists are said to be still holding out for a military hance with Germany and Italy—Trans-Ocean.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.