CHINESE CASUALTIES

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 15, 11 October 1937, Page 5

CHINESE CASUALTIES

■Presa Assn.-

Japanese Crush Defence in Hopei Province 500 RAIDING WARPLANES

(By Telegrapb-

— C ^yright.)

(Received 11, 12.5U p.m.; SHANGHAI, Oct. 10. The Chinese Ministry of Health at Nanking announces that over 1500 Chinese were affected by Japanese gas, believed to be mnstard gas, in the fighting at Woosung Creek. The Ministry has also inf ormed f oreign embassies Of the alleged use of gas on a large scale at Shanghai, adding. that the Chinese respirators are useiess. An official announeement asserts that the gas was liquid and remained effective for a long period. The Ghinese Embassy at Lon'do* states that the gas has caused 24 death s but that the Chinese line is intact. Embassy offieials add that 200 Japanese approached the Chinese wire entangelments in the Lotien sector and that all were killed before the task of wire-cutting was accomplished. The Japanese spokesman denies the nse of gas sheils. He admits that the most powerfnl types of Japanese high explosives possess an "apparently similar effect to gas, burning the nearest victims and exuding carbon monoxide, often fatally." • The London Times Tokio corresport' dent says that the Japanese have tnrned the flank of the last of the Chinese defences in the Hopei province and entered Shinchiachwang. Japanese engineers, in the hright moonlight, threw bridges to the sandbanks of the Huto river at Kuosuchen, 112 miles north of Pingshang. The troops waited on the sandijanks uuti! dawn, and then forded the remainder oi the river, covered hy a heavy baTrage. The Chinese wero thrown into. confusion by the appearance of Japanese behind their flank, stampeding toward tlie Taivuan railway. The Jananese advanced rapidly and capturcd the Chinese positions at the rear of Pingshang. Other Japanese later captured Rhinchiaehwang despite desperate Chinese resistanee. The Chinese military authorities at Naukinsi'state that the Japanese have aboufc 500 warplanes eoncentrated at yarious points to mako daily raids, not counting tliose baserl in Formosa or m Nortli Cliina, Despite the rain, which ia preventIng major Japanese attaoks on tho Bhangh&i front, Bhanghai has planned an ironic eelebration of the "(loubleten" anuiversary of the Chinese Republiean revolution of November 10. 1911,