JAPANESE ENCIRCLEMENT MOVE FAILS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 209, 20 September 1937, Page 5

JAPANESE ENCIRCLEMENT MOVE FAILS

Chinese Forces Making a Fighting Retreat [(Eeceived 20, 1.10 p.m.)1 PEIPING, Sept. 19. Failing to envelop the Chinese forces south of Peiping, the Japanese armies, after establishing headquarters at Chochow, are pressing along the Peiping-Paotingfu railway towards Paotingfu, the chief Chinese base in North China, from where the invaders " are 40 miles distant. The troops, who are under Nanking control, having (according to Japanese accounts) lost from ten to twenty thousand effective men, though they still number. 40,000, are making a fighting retreat towards Paotingfu after escaping the Japanese left wing, which quagmires delayed. The Japanese admit limited success in their cncirclement move, but contend that they have shattered the Chinese forces. In Northern Shansi, immediately north of the Great Wall, the Japanese have occupied Hunyuan. The Qhinese forces in this province are preparing strong defences inside the Great Wall, where % major engagement is imminent. The Japanese farther north-west invaded Suiyuan and also took Fengchen. The battle for Chochow cost the Chinese 6000 dead. • The Japanese lack facilities for feeding prisoners and are therefore disarming and liberating those surrendering, which acsounts for the few prisoners reported.