THE CHINA MAIL, DECEMBER
1987.
NANKING PREPARING QUIETLY FOR CRISIS
Foreigners Retire To Hulks Three Miles Upriver
RING OF HILLS AS LAST LINE OF DEFENCE
JAPANESE CLAIMS
DISCOUNTED
Hankow, To-day..
The Japanese troops have reached the Yang- tse at a point opposite Nanking, near Wu Ling Kuan, when minor troops advanced westwards. Thus the encirclement of Nanking is complete.
At least 300,000 Chinese Central Government troops are occupying a semi-circular front around the capital. Whether the 200,000 additional provin- cial troops also assembled in the area, will be able to stand against Japanese advances, cannot be said.
AMERICAN
AEROPLANES FOR CHINA
Washington, To-day.
The State Department disclose that export licenses for war ma-
terial to a value of £340,474 were
granted to China in November.
The money was chiefly devoted to purchase of military aeroplanes. -Reuter
gates of Nanking, whose cap- ture will mark the first entry of an invading foreign army in the whole of its long history.
Four columns of Japanese
city, which suffered its 120th Japanese air raid yesterday.
The Japanese are said to be planning to attack the capital from four sides, and to build a ring troops are converging on the around it in order to prevent the soldiers from re- treating. The necessary concentration of troops for this manoeuvre will require several days, and thus the fall of Nanking is retarded.
Some circles believe that be- Other reports, as yet unconfirmed, fore the Japanese troops can en-state that Japanese warships, after ter Nanking, the capital will burn destroying the Kiangyin boom and like Moscow at the time of Na-clearing minefields, are slowly ad- polean.
vancing up the Yangtse River.
A telephone message from a Trans-Ocean. foreign resident in Nanking this morning says that the capital is quietly looking forward to the coming days of crisis.
CLAIMS DISCOUNTED
Shanghai, To-day. Foreign military quarters are in- clined to discount the Japanese Troops are patrolling the claims to have advanced within three streets, all Government offices miles of Nanking, and reports from have been occupied and machine foreign sources in Nanking do not guns installed, and a State of confirm the imminence of close quar- War has been proclaimed. Gov ter Japanese onslaughts. ernment circles are determined to The battle for the Capital is said defend Nanking to the end, and to be fiercely raging in the vicinity the chain of hills around the capi- of the Tachengshan Hills, cast of tal, from Lungan Chisia Shan Nanking.
The vanguards of one of these forces, according to -27 unconfirmed Japanese re have planted the banner of rising sun on Purple on the outskirts of where the remaing Tat-sen are interred
The Japanese report scale exodus of Chinese by junk across the but according to Chinese reports, Gen Mme. Chiang Kai-sh main in Nanking. Reuter.
WAR MAY BE DECLARED
AFTER NANKING
Tokyo, To-day.
BRITAIN TO DEFEND INTERESTS
London, To-day.
It is authoritatively. emphasised that the Bri- tish Government is fully determined to uphold British rights and inter- ests in the Far East, though obviously any ac non must await the re- suit of mvesugation of
the circumstances.
The Foreign Secretary, replying
το Με
Live, Preston)
mons
Chma, says the "Yomun
Conserva
of-Com
The paper says the points to be discussed include,
Firstly, the declaration of war against China,
Purple Mountain Tangshan Chinese crack troops engaged in is taken as the last defence line. the battle in this area, are stated FOREIGNERS ON HULKS to have been successful in halting Because of the sound of can- the Japanese advance.
Immediately after fall of Nan ons, the fifty odd foreigners still}~ CHINESE AIR RAIDS in Nanking are living on gun- Chinese planes raided the Japan-King, officials of the Imperial boats and hulks, which have ese positions last night and early General Headquarters and key
The paper adds that imminent been equipped with food for this morning but the results are not members of the Cabinet will meet in
fall of Nanking “wilă mar weeks. The hulks are moved 3 yet ascertainable.
an emergency joint conference to turning point in miles up-river, but the ultimate fate is uncertain, as the recent as capture last night, but this is draw up a new policy towards operations in
bombing of two British steamers at Wuhu seems to indicate that even gunboats might be bombed by the Japanese.
Some missionaries that are still working in the town have had a motor launch placed at then dis
gal, to bring them on the bulk at the last min-
Ocean
CHINESE DENIAL
Shanghai, To-day.
quarters deny
ble Chinese
Japanese claim that Chinkiang
denied by the Chinese, who admit that furious onslaughts are made by the invading forcing
three
miles east of Chinkiang Our Own Correspondent..
CHINKIANG DEFENCE
Shanghai, To-day. Despite the rapid Japanese ad- vance on Nanking, the Chinese Sn- preme Command has reaffirmed its determination to defend the capi-
tal
Meanwhile, Chinese forces sta-
the Japanese have successfultioned at Tanyang have been with-
ared the boo
gtse at Kiangyin.
spondent.
on
the River Our Own
ADVANCE ON NANKING
both
Tokyo, To-day
Kaokizomen and than six vere occupied yesterday
drawn to Chinking, which is ex- pected to be severely attacked soon. Practically all Chinkiang'a 30,000
abitants have al
enter.
CONVER
vacuated.
ON CITY
.អ្វី
i
Secondly, the creation of a new administration in North Chins and other parts of the country.
Those who know-
Drink
EWO
Brewed by EWO BREWERY-Sha
30311• Moos JARDINE MATHESON & CO Ltd.