WUSIH FALLS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 54, 26 November 1937, Page 5

WUSIH FALLS

•P«BS "ASSII.

Chinese Reverse WEEK'S SHELLING First Stcp in Collapse of " Hindenburg Line" lTHEN — ONTO NANKING

(Bf Telegwh-

-Copyrieat.)

(Eeceived 26, 12.30 p.m.) SHANGHAI, Nov. 20. Tlie JapaneSe announce that they have ocoupied Wusih, pivot of tbe Chinese defence line, after a seven-days bombardment. It is elaimed that the f all of the city is the first stage in the edllapse of the Chinese Hindenburg Line. Onee this "is smashed, the Japanese will face the nxajn Nanking flef ences. Apart from fitful engagements in the Wushing and Wusih seetors, the fighting has been temporarily held up while the Japanese prepare to reaume their hjlvance.. ' A bride and bridegroom wero killed and 200 others were killed and wounded when an hotel at Changsha was bombed .during awedding ceremony. Mr Herbert Phillips. British ConsulGeneral at -Shanghai, has warned British inerchantmen to reply readily and correctly to -signals from Japanese warships. Britain has agreed that the Japanese shall board British ships to. .verify their nationality. "Mahe peace or you will soon be • driven from power," is the warning Japanese army and navy leaders are xeported to haye deliyered to T^argea.1 Chiang Kai-shek, after Which the Premier retorted: "It is our fixed policy to resist to the last inch and the last man." The message,- it is reported, added that if Marshat chiang Kai-shek accepted a truce he wotdd be permitted to re-mrin.-head of the Central Government at Nanking. In return, the Japanese pledged themselves not to annex an inch of Chinese soil. General Ho Ying-ehing, and others of the peace group are Teported to be in favour of acceptance. A Peiping message says: Japanese military leaders are endeavouring to take direct action to secure control of the Chinese maritime Customs adminis* * tration,- which is the aocurity f or Chinese loans for Boxer indemnity. If carrxed out, the plan would shake the whole system of international financing in China.