Salt Lake Tribune | 1918-08-18 | Page 2 | Japan will Send Troops through China Province

JAPAN WILL SEND TROOPS THROUGH CHINA PROVINCE TOKIO, Aii. 13. (By tho Asso-eiatod Asso-eiatod Press.) Tho govt1 mm ont today issued a statement aiiouncing . that, under tho agreement with China in view of tho danger threatening the border of Manchuria, Japan was dispatching troops thonee t'rnin M.-inchnria. Tho text of tho statement follows: The attention of the Japanese government recently has been p,.. to the growl:. - activities of arn.cd C.-rmaii and A usi ro-11 un u'a-r.;.n u'a-r.;.n pri. oners in Siberia along ike I, orders of .Manchur:. These prisoners, pris-oners, having virtually assumed command of the force), of Soviets, now are pressing upon the Chinese frontier in the, direction of the town of .Mauehuli, and the imminence immi-nence of danger has compelled a lari'u number of Japanese and Chi-ne-e inhabitants of that town to seek refuge in flight. The situation involves a direct menace to Chinese territory and is no less a serious concern to Japan, Ja-pan, united as she is with China in bonds of close solidarity. The two gin iTinnents accordingly considered in common the course to be adopted adopt-ed in this state of affairs and agreed as a provisional measure of emergency that a portion of the Japanese troops at present stationed sta-tioned in soulh Manchuria be ordered or-dered immediately to proceed to M anchuli. This movement of troops has been actuated solely by a spirit of harmonious har-monious co-operation. Japan and China face a threatening threat-ening danger, ami, in undertaking to combat it, the Japanese government govern-ment will scrupulously respect the sovereignty of China as well as the rights and interests of the local lo-cal population. They are happy to believe that tho proposed measure will largely be instrumental in promoting pro-moting the relations of mutual confidence con-fidence and good noighborlinoss of tho two nations. WASHINGTON, Aug. 17 Japan's movement of troops to Siberia through Manchuria is under the agreement with China which followed news recently that former German and Austro-Hun-garion prisoners in Siberia had assumed leadership of the soviet forces and were pressing upon the Chinese frontier in the direction of Manchuli, compelling many Japanese and Chinese to flee. It was agreed that a portion of the Japanese troops stationed in south Manchuria Man-churia should be ordered to proceed immediately im-mediately toward Manchuli. Stations in Manchuria along tho railroad and elsewhere vncatod by the Japanese, probably will bo occupied by Chineso troops until they can bo replaced by new levies from Japan. It is believed in Japanese circles here that tho provisional force may be able to relieve the Cossaek General Seme-noff, Seme-noff, who has been sorely beset in the neighborhood of Chita. It is assumed that as tho Japanese troops were ordered or-dered to move four days ago, they are now close to the Mongolian border.