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Grey River Argus, 20 September 1937, Page 5

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CHINESE ARMY In Northern Section LARGE JAPANESE CAPTURES. [Aus. & N.Z. Cable Assn.] TOKIO, September 17. The Domei Agency reports that the Japanese deployed a fifty-mile line, converging on Paotingfu, and has broken the Chinese first line at several points, and is now attacking the second, connecting Paoting, Jungcheng and Hiunghsien. They have occupied Chochow and Laiyuan. The Japanese claim complete domination of the air in North China, and also the occupation, after a destroyer attack, of Chenniushan Island, near the Haichow terminus of the Lunghai railway. The War Office claims that the Japanese advanced in the Ohuma region twelve miles in twenty-four hours, and have isolated one hundred thousand Chinese.

JAPANESE ADVANCE. (Received September 19, 7.10 p.m.) LONDON, September IS. The fate of the hemmed-in Chinese army south of Liangsiang remains uncertain. A Tokio message states that a strong Chinese relief force is moving up. There is deeply mudded terrain, which hampers the Japanese from intercepting the progress of the Chinese relief force. It is claimed that at one point in yesterday’s fiercest onsalught, the Chinese left on the field 1200 dead, and innumerable guns. The Chinese appear to be concentrating at Laishuhsien, sixteen miles south-west of Chochow on the Japanese left flank. They resisted every yard throughout the past night’s fighting, but yielded slowly to superior Japanese tactics and armament. LATER. A message from Peking says that the Japanese claim a further advance of twelve miles south of Chochow. They are pursuing the Chinese, fanwise to the west and south They have captured a Chinese armoured train, and six troop trains. Chinese, further east, are establishing strong defence works connecting Tsangchow with the PekingHankow railway. They also are opening canal banks to impede the Japanese steamroller tactics. JAPS. TAKE CHOCHOW. NOW ATTACKING IN SHANSI. TOKIO, September 18. The Japanese War Office announces that main bodies of the Japanese forces have triumphantly entered Chochow, west of which the Japanese have advanced to Sunlingtien. The Japanese are pursuing the fleeing Chinese, whose losses in the PekingHankow railway fighting are estimated at six thousand. There is a battle now- developing in Shansi between the Japanese and Chinese forces. The Chinese have taken up a position at the Inner Great Wall, between Yingchow and Sochow.

JAPANESE ADVANCE. INTO INNER MONGOLIA. (Received September .19, 8 p.m.) SHANGHAI, September 18. It is reported Hiat the Japanese have entered the Province of Suiyuan, in inner Mongolia, and that they are occupying Fengchen and are menacing Pingtichuan, an important military base. SHANGHAI FRONT. LONDON, September 17. LONDON, September 18. A Shanghai report says that torrential rain is falling there. It is holding up major activities. The Japanese have resisted all counteiattacks by the Chinese, and they are now strengthening their positions between the International Settlement and the Chinese quarter of the city so as to preserve their communications. The Chinese population of Shanghai, swollen by hundreds of thousands of refugees, faces a series food shortage due to the blockade and the peasants abandoning their farms. To-morrow, on the anniversary of the opening of Japanese Manchuria all shops will close. No meat will be sold, the people eating only vegetables, and devoting the consquept savings to the Chinese war chest. Madame Chiang Kai-shek has handed over the Nanking Orphanage. of which she was the founder, to the Minister’ of Health for a field hospital. The orphan boys and girls who were organised into a corps for service on the war fronts, marched out, and a stream of wounded soldiers was carried into the hospital. The Chinese servants at the German Consulate have been arrested on charges of espionage. The Japanese have drawn attention to grave robbers, gangs of whom are using the labour forces to loot the tombs of the Manchu princess near Peiping. A local constable was found entertaining three of the bandits to tea at the police station. The bandits have released, without ransom, three more foreigners who were kidnapped at the Heishanhu mission school as a result of more patriotic guerrila bands disarming the criminal element after the failure of other gangs to seize the captives and hold them to ransom. The Japanese did not take military action lest the bandits murder their captives. The remaining three prisoners have been kept as hostages. The Hong Kong correspondent of the “Daily Mail” states that following a Japanese air raid on Canton last night, the Governor (Mr. Wu) ordered the arrest, mutilation and execution of forty traitors who sent up Verey lights to indicate t(ic objectives to Japanese bombing aeroplanes. The non-arrival at Shanghai of the liner Nagasaki Maru has created mystification. Officials decline to discuss the suggestion that the Chinese bombed her in mistake for a transport. The passengers include Britons and foreigners. NANKING, September 17.

In an interview, beginning at the Communist delegation’s headquarters and ending in a bomb-proof dugout, when Japanese war-planes flew over, General Yeh Chinenhing, Chief of Staff of the Eighth Route Army, formerly a Communist Force, and reputedly the best fighters in China, has

given allegiance to the Nanking Government and placed the troops of the organisation at its disposal against the Japanese. It is recalled that Chiang Kaishek for ten years fought the Communist Army, -which successfully resisted continuous attacks, and secured control of Shensi. Kansu and other regions, which Nanking has now agreed shall be organised as special administrative areas, with due consideration to the former status, while the Communist Party may nominate candidates throughout China, at the forthcoming elections for the People’s Congress.

The agreement is regarded as a significant step towards unity, to which Japan is opposed, as it has persistently sought to compel Nanking to "allow her to send troops against the Communists. The Eighth Army is already engaged against the Japanese, but its effectiveness against a modern force remains to be proved. WELLINGTON, September 18.

The Chinese Consul received the following cablegram from Nanking:— Heralded by intense shelling and bombing of Chinese positions, the Japanese renewed their thrust yesterday towards Lotien and Luihang, on the Shanghai-Tientsin motor road. Sharp encounters occurred at points eastward of the highway, but the attackers made no progress.

Japanese assaults on the Chinese right flank in the Chapei area were also repulsed. It is officially stated that Chinese bombers sank a Japanese destroyer off Swatow. Chinese ’planes beat off eight Japanese ’planes from Canton. No bombs were dropped.

CHINESE BOMBERS. START FIRES IN THE SETTLEMENT. (Received September 19, 8 p.m.) SHANGHAI, September 18. Chinese ’planes eight times raided Japanese areas in Shanghai at night time, resulting in many conflagrations being caused. Their bombs also set fire to several buildings in the International Settlement, including Lever’s Soap Factory, also a British-owned Egg Packing Plant. The Chinese claim a direct hit on a Japanese warship. THE JAPANESE BLOCKADE, TRANSFER OF CHINESE SHIPS THE QUESTION. (Received September 19, at 8 p.m.) TOKIO, September 18. The Japanese Foreign Office announces that, in view of the strengthening of Japan’s thousand mile blockade, the Japanese will not recognise any transfer of Chinese vessels to other nationalities that has been mado subsequent to the proclamation of August 25th. last, unless such transfer is in accordance with the laws of the countries concerned, and is fully car* ried out. An inspection will be undertaken, where it is doubtful whether a transfer is a satisfactory one. U.S.A. EMBARGO. CHINESE RESENTMENT. NANKING, September 18. The Chinese Government has ordered its Ambassador to the United States to express dissatisfaction concerning President Roosevelt’s embargo on shipment of arms to China in Government owned American vessels. WASHINGTON, September 17. China has formally protested to America against the embargo on shipments of arms to the Far’ East. It is understood that Mr Wang told the State Department China considered the embargo was imposed in order to aid Japan, and to injure China. CHINESE GAS WARFARE. FEARED BY JAPANESE. (Received September 19, 8 p.m.) TOKIO, September 18. The Domei News Agency declares that the Japanese authorities are giving serious attention to large quantities of chemical warfare apparatus which have been imported by China from Europe, and especially from Russia, which importation suggests that the Chinese will resort to gas warfare. TOKIO, September 17. It is announced that Japan is concluding a new trade agreement with Uruguay, whereby Uruguay will spend on Japanese goods at least 85 per cent of the money received for Japan’s purchases of Uruguayan wool and other goods.