Japanese Troops Reach Indo-China Border

Manawatu Times, Volume 64, Issue 305, 27 December 1939, Page 7

Japanese Troops Reach Indo-China Border

SUPPLY LINES CUT United Press Association— By Elec trio Telegraph—Copyright. NEW YORK, Dec. 24. Tho Japanese Army spokesman, states a Shanghai message, to-day issued a blank denial of all Chinese claims to advances and victories. He declared that Chinese losses at Nanning wero so heavy that the winter offensive had been abandoned. It was untrue that Nanning was surrounded, and communications with the coast had not been sovered. The Japanese forces were not endangered, he said. The Shanghai correspondent of the Associated Press of America says that tho Japanese Army claims that the troops invading the Kwangsi Province have reached the border of Indo-China and cut tho Chinese supply lines. The Japanese commander shook hands with the commander of the French garrison at Langson. Seizure of huge quantities of military supplies at Nankwan and Lungchow, which were occupied for 48 hours and then abandoned, is claimed by the Japanese. The Shanghai correspondent of the New York Times, Mr. Abend, supports the foregoing. He believes that the Japanese charges that Chinese claims of victorious counter-attacks aro mendacious are born out by the most reliable foreign witnesses. Instead of the Japanese at Nanning being endangered, French officials in Indo-China confirm the reports of Mr. Abend and the Associated Press correspondent. Chinese claims that they were successfully attacking Nanchang were exploded to-day when two foreign news[men flew over the city and neighbourhood and discovered no signs of military activity. Similarly they flew over and south-west of Wunchang, where Chinese aro claiming victories, and found all quiet and tho peasants farming.