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Show appro si mna i More Troops Arrive for Attack on Shanghai SHANGHAI, Oct S (AP) General Iwane MaUul, Japanese Japa-nese commander-in-chief of the Shanghai front, issued a proclamation proc-lamation today the first official offi-cial announcement of the Japanese Japa-nese invasion of China which Chinese considered the equivalent equiva-lent of, if not a diplomatically formal, declaration of war. Oenrrel Mataid declared the Japanese army "Is new prepared to no very means to subdue its opponents." In view of prsvlous declarations of Japanese army and navy spokesmen. spokes-men. brvr considered this ths verbal prelude of Japan's threat-ned threat-ned big push against Use Chinas dfnaa lines northwest of Shanghai. Shang-hai. Mataul, la the name of the Japans Japa-ns emperor, promised an early victory and a peaceful future after scourging the "Chines government army which has been pursuing anti- forelan and anti-Jananaaa wiNnlM in collaboration with communist Intluencea." T Guard Foreigners H added that the live and property prop-erty of national of third powers would be protected. Hi announcement cam shortly after army authorities mad an implied im-plied threat to turn their land and warship batteries against Pootung and rax th industrial area across th Whangpoo rlvsr from Shanghai unless Chinese batterie there ceased firing at Japanese civilian areas In the Hongksw sector f th international settlement PreeUmatiea Issued Th Japan army, th spokesman spokes-man said, was prepared to utilise ail reinforcement and additional equipment, but h declined to say whether th big push was plannsd to begin on October 10, th Chines national holiday. An official Nanking spokesmen characterised th Japan commander's com-mander's proclamation as a "modern "mod-ern declaration of war," and declared de-clared It is a mere smoke creen in an attempt to excuse "invasion of a peaceful country." Chinese official and foreign diplomats dip-lomats generally expressed belief th proclamation was in reply to protests from Washington and other oth-er capitals against Japan's military mili-tary activities In China. Th duel between Chines bst-tarlca bst-tarlca and Japanes warships was th severest night engagement of th war, which was four months old today. Ths concussion of th heavy shells shattered windows in score of buildings on the waterfront water-front and shook the city to its foundations. foun-dations. Ths deadly artillery battle went on under black, rain-laden skies as th Japan warships plowed Pootung Poo-tung with scores of shells and th Chines batteries there blasted the riverfront The American cruiser Augusta, flagship of th United States fleet, waa again endangered at it exposed ex-posed position at ths apex of th row of foreign warship In th Whangpoo. Shell passed over the ship repeatedly, while a few splashed In th water only a few hundred yard distant Plan Northern Drive While the two armies were mired down in th indecisive struggl for th Shanghai sector, Japanes authorities au-thorities announced their force were preparing for th next stage of th North China offensive with an advance against Shihkiachwang, junction of tbs Pelplng-Hankow and Taiyuanfu railroads. A dispatch from Pelplng laid th Japaiess Dome! New agency reported re-ported th Important city of Cheng-tlngfu Cheng-tlngfu on th railroad to Hankow was occupied at 10:30 a. m. today. Chengtlngfu la ISO miles southwest of Peiping and its capture put th (Continued on Pazn Two) (Culumn rive) BRITAIN BACKS U. S. PRESIDENT (Continue reset Pees Ons) neutral city would be a more appropriate- place for the conferees to meet and discuss any action to be taken against Japan for her undeclared un-declared war on China. Administration officials would approve. ap-prove. It waa learned, either Paris or London, but generally prefer a town or city which la not a national capital. lata department officials believed that Washington would be both impracticable im-practicable and undeairable as the seat of the conference. I'. H. locale Opposed Their objections are: 1. Designation of Wsnhington might give undue promlnenre to the share of American participation In the conference and at least would give tha appearance of American leadership In any dscisions or actions ac-tions of tha conferees. President Roosevelt and Secretary of State Cordell Hull were determined that the United States shall follow, not lead, tha league powers in action projected to restore and maintain world peace. 2. Time Is Important In tha present pres-ent crisis and officials believe that tha conferees could meet at some central European point sooner. I. Tha nine-power treaty consultations consul-tations ware proposed by the League of Natlona aaaembly, and may be considered under league sponsorship, sponsor-ship, officials said. It would therefore there-fore be better, they believe, for the consultations to be at soms point near Geneva, where the conferees will have quick access to the league aasembly, which remains subject to call from recess. Powers "Pasa Buck1 Observers believe that Creat Britain and France favor holding tha conference in Washington for tha same reason that Mr. Roosevelt Roose-velt and HuU wish It ta b held elsewhere. British and French leader are reported to believe that, in as much aa the nine-power treaty waa drafted draft-ed and signed at Washington, this ta tha logical place for a consultation consul-tation of it signatories. WASHINGTON, Oct. I (INS) While tha world rumbled with war and threat of war, and President Rooaavelt returned to Washington to assume personal direction of America' foreign policy, report war current today that the United State government was about to invoke in-voke tha neutrality act against both Japan and China but under auch condition that Japan would be forced eventually to end her campaign cam-paign of aggression in China. Cabinet Meets If President Roosevelt and Secretary Sec-retary of State HuU and tha cabinet cab-inet decide upon such a movs at their meeting today, It will be predicated pred-icated on active cooperation by other algnstorles to the nine-power pact in imposing a virtual boycott on Japan. LONDON, Oct. I (INS)-Poasibll-Ity coneultationa among major powers pow-ers to halt the Sino-Japaneae war may be confined to diplomatic channels chan-nels without recourse to a formal nine-power conference was envisaged envis-aged in diplomatic circle here today to-day In the face of Anglo-American unwillingness to play a leading role. |