Show Fight Ends but China Rejects Japan Demands Shanghai Stores Open Soldiers Sol Sol Sol-I diers Begin to Repair Recent Damages NEW BATTLE REPORTED i I Nipponese Deny Rumor of Engagement 18 By United Press The war which never was declared seemed to have ended in the Shanghai Shang Shang- hai ha area today with an undeclared armistice Stores were opening soldiers put away their bayonets and got out their shovels to repair the wreckage and the Chinese army had fallen back al almost almost almost al- al most to A report from Crom 25 miles mUes northwest of Shanghai said fighting was going on there but the engagement engagement engage engage- ment was believed to 10 be a minor skirmish The league of or nations assembly convened con again at Geneva to find a formula for peace but the meeting was vas delayed until late in the afternoon after after- noon noon- In Manchuria a delegation went down to Port Arthur again to bring back Henry Pu- Pu Yi Pu-Yi Yi time one-time boy emperor emperor emperor em em- who is to be installed on March 9 as head of independent Man Man- churia By M MORRIS MORRIS MORRIS' J. J HARRIS Copyright 1932 by the Associated Pre Press SHANGHAI March 4 The 4 The Chinese Chinese Chinese Chi Chi- nese national government late toda today rejected the series of New Japanese demands presented yesterday as a basis for further pence peace parleys just justas as the city of Shanghai surrounded by ay war for a month had begun quietly to get down to work again The announcement was made by byLo byLo Lo Wen Wen-Kan foreign minister Another disturbing report came in Chinese official advices from N Nan Nan- n- n king which said that a new battle was under way at 25 miles northwest of here The dispatches said the Japanese Eleventh Ele division attacked the Chinese forces there and anda a severe battle was under way BATTLE IS DENIED DENTED Japanese naval and military officials officials officials denied late in in the afternoon that any fighting was taking place at however Military of officials officials of- of issued the following statement statement state state- state state- ment The Japanese forces are maintaining main main- taming the same positions as yesterday yesterday yester ester esterday day calling a halt to their hostilities and concentrating their units within an azea east of a line drawn between Nanzi n and Kating Travelers who arrived here from and a few Cew miles mites west of there during the day said however they tiley heard icard artillery fire Cire apparently a long distance to the northwest Everything was quiet in Shanghai The governments government's notice that it would continue resistance was sent Continued on P t Two FIGHT ENDS IN SHANGHAI AREA Continued From r ce One here in a communication from LoWen Lo LoWen LoWen Wen Kan Ran to lo Quo Tal Chi his vice minister The new Japanese demands are arc not acceptable to China which will continue resistance the communication communication cation said Foreign Minister Lo Instructed the vice minister to inform Sir Howard Kelly British fleet teet commander of the governments government's decision Admiral Kelly has acted as mediator in previous pre conferences between the Chinese Chinese Chinese Chi Chi- nese and nd Japanese aboard his flagship flagship flag flag- flagship ship Kent FAVORS l MEDIATION TION China has not declared war against Japan the foreign ministers minister's ministers minister's ministers minister's minis minis- ter's communication said therefore while China will continue to resist Japanese attack she will vill also continue continue continue con con- to accept friendly mediation by bythe bythe bythe the powers But she can only accept terms which are compatible with the nations nation's nations nation's nations nation's na na- na- na tion's dignity which are reasonable and do not prejudice her sovereign rights A month ago Mayor Wu Vu Teh-Chen Teh of ot Shanghai accepted a Japanese ultimatum but Japanese troops attacked Chinese positions atter af after after at- at ter they had accepted as satisfactory the Chinese reply to their demands While these negotiations were going going going go go- go- go ing on the Japanese troops launched an offensive Our national government government government govern govern- ment declared it would not yield under under un un- un- un der dec Japanese military pressure and this policy will be maintained Commenting on dispatches from Tokio saying the Japanese hoped to arrange a round table conference of the powers at Shanghai as soon as possible either with or without Chinese Chinese Chinese Chi Chi- nese participation Vice Minister Quo said It isn't likely that there will be besuch besuch besuch such a conference until Japanese troops are arc withdrawn from the Chinese Chinese Chi Chi- nese areas WAR-TORN WAR AREA Abandoned automobiles stark starl corpses and rifled buildings marked I the line of retreat of the Chinese Nineteenth route army which I followed followed followed fol fol- fol- fol lowed today over a treacherous military military mili mill tary road to the westernmost westernmost westernmost western western- most limit of the Japanese advance on an the Shanghai railway There was much along the w way y to indicate that the Chinese withdrawal I was not entirely orderly and erate crate Alon Along the mile eight-mile trail between between between be be- be- be tween and stalled and overturned Chinese trucks and automobiles were encountered at frequent frequent fre Ire quent intervals There was evidence that in the rush to escape from the relentless Japanese advance some Chinese drivers drivers drivers ers lost control of their cars racing over the rough roads and vent went on or 1 afoot rather than risk being overtaken over over- taken Some merely ran out of gasoline an and others were blown from the road by bomb explosions More than 50 automobiles and trucks some of them hem bought by the Chinese army less ess than a month ago from Shang Shang- hal l dealers were captured by the Japanese in m the final drive Most of these were put out of commission before they were abandoned but many have been repaired and are arenow arenow arenow now being used by the Japanese army So precipitate was the flight of the he Chinese troops that they failed to o destroy the wooden bridges they had constructed across the numerous creeks in building the road a few weeks before This greatly facilitated ed the Japanese advance BODIES SPRAWLED ABOUT Here and there here coated blue-coated figures were sprawled along the roadside the bodies of luckless Chinese stragglers stragglers stragglers who were cut down during the flight t. t The abandoned Chinese trenches which crease the countr countryside side provided provided provided pro pro- vided further evidence of a hasty retirement They were cluttered with blankets clothing utensils and ammunition and in some cases with bits of loot such as jewelry women's toilet articles and purses There has been no fighting at Nan Nan- ziang but the retreating Chinese plundered the town as they went through Of Chinese who used to call it home only a hundred d or so remained re remained remained re- re in today and they were mostly old men and women sitting sullenly in the their r door doorways ays not even glancing up as the Japanese passed through The shells spared but the looters overlooked nothing When the Japanese arrived they found that every little shop and dwelling had been ransacked and it appeared that the Chinese had retired far beyond beyond beyond be be- yond the town possibly even to Soo- Soo chow I |