Current Events June 5, 1942: POISON GAS USED IN CHINA BY JAPANESE:

            Oakland Tribune

OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, FHIDAY, JUNE 5, 1942

Japs Using Gas, Says F.R.; U.S. To Retaliate;

Midway Sea Battle Rages After Foe's Repulse

Tokyo Warned By President

Noxious Vapors Employed Against- Chinese, j

Chief Executive Asserts; Nipponese Told

It's Same Thing as Against This Country

Y/ASIII^GTCX. June 5—(AP)—President Roosevelt told

today of official information that Japan was using poison

gas against China, and grimly declared that if the Japanese

persisted in this form of warfare, the United States would

mete out "retaliation in kind and in full measure."

The reports that Japan on several occasions had resorted

to gas warfare were described by the Chief Executive to his

press conference as authorita-

tive. He read a brief formal!

statement, which he said the!

State Department had pre-

pared, making it unequivo-

cally clear that .the United States j

would consider the use of gas j

against China or any other United

Nation as an action against the

United States.

U.S. Attacking, Nimitz Reports

American Naval Forces Close With Jap

Task Fleet in What May Be Showdown

Fight for Mid-Pacific Island Bases

HONOLULU, June 5.—(AP)—American defenders, spurred

by initial successes, closed battle today with a strong Japa=

nese sea-air task force in what may be a finish fight for pos-

session of Midway Island.

By FRANK TREMAINE

PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii, June 5.—(U.R)—A major naval aerial

battle was developing in mid-Pacific today after United

States forces had damaged a Japanese battleship and as

aircraft carrier, probably damaged other ships and shot

down many planes in beating off a carrier-based plane attack

on Midway Island. Victorious in the first phase of a big

engagement, the United States

Naval and Air Forces w«n

continuing their attack on the

enemy forces off Midway.

It was believed here that,

the Japanese attack on Dutch Har-

bor had been a diversions! one, and

that both the Dutch Harbor and

Midway attacks might be designed

to divert attention from another

major drive— possibly against Hawaii,

the United States or the supply

line to Australia.