BIG BATTLE PENDING ALONG LUNGHAI LINE
(Continued from Page 1)
that they were prepared after the Railway, and Chengchow, loss of Manchuria for an attack Peiping-Hankow Railway, from the north, since it was not even dreamed in those days that an attack would come from the south and east.
the
WITHIN 150 MILES As previously reported, the simul- taneous advance of the Japanese ture from the
Chinese viewpoint is 8TH ROUTE ARMY
from north and south along the -New units of the 8th Route Army Tientsin-Pukow Railway, has or former Communists, are being brought them on either side to trained and recruited in Kansu and within 150 miles of Hsuchow. Shansi for guerilla warfare. This
It is reliably stated that the Ja- army probably totals 100,000 men panese centre between the Tientsin- and is now much better equipped Pukow and Peiping-Hankow rail- than formerly. They have plenty ways, and also the Japanese right of machine-guns and some light ar-wing in Shansi province, have been tillery, all supplied by the Central strongly reinforced in the past few
days. Trans-Ocean.
Government.
HARRYING TACTICS
These troops are continually har- rying Japanese communications in
Shansi and along the Peiping-Han- BUS SHELTER AT
Peiping-Han-B
the
kow Railway, and may be brought into more direct contact with Japanese if the latter move west- ward along the Lunghai line.-Reu- ter.
LUNGHAI BULWARK
Peiping, To-day. The last and strongest bulwark of Chinese defence in North China, the Lunghai Railway, running from Haichow along the coast via Hsu chow to Chengchow and Sianfu, is how gravely imperilled, according to despatches arriving in Peiping.
HOSPITAL
A shelter for bus passengers is to be erected at Queen Mary Hospi- tal.
Tenders are called for în the "Government Gazette" for the per- formance of the work, which con- sists of the erection of a brick and reinforced concrete shelter.
The "Gazette" contains the regu- Importance of this line of defence lations governing the firing of may be seen from the fact that it crackers at Chinese New Year, giv- includes two
railway junctions- ing details of prohibited areas and 'the Tientsin-Pukow other restrictions.
Hsuchow, on
THE CHINA MAIL, JANUARY 8, 1938.
STOP PRESS
TEL. 20022 or 33993
is
Shanghai, To-day. It learned that import- ant conferences are taking place in the Japanese army regarding possible exten- sion of hostilities to South
·China, with Canton objective.
..
as the
Immediately after the fall of Nanking the Japanese un doubtedly contemplated making
landing in Kwangtung, near Bias Bay. as was witnessed by the concentration around Christmas..
OF
Japanese transports in the vicinity of the Bay.
These transports were dis- persed at the end of December owing to the sudden change of plan, which observers believe to be due partly to the decision to reinforce troops operating on the Tientsin-Pukow line from the north, and partly from fear of complications owing to the proximity of the British co- lony of Hong Kong, the Ja- panese high command having been shaken by the Panay and Ladybird incidents, which indi- cated that Japanese troops were partly out of control.:
Many neutral observers be- lieve that an attack on Canton will certainly take place în due course but possibly not before the Lun operation is suc- cessfully Complished.—Reu- ter.
Canton, To-day. The "Canton Gazette” pub- paragraph this
hishes that, under
morning
suspicion of
cion of dangerous acti-
vities," an Italian priest at Shiukwan has been requested by the provincial authorities to leave Kwangtung,
The Italian Consul in Shameen informs Reuter that this matter is one many weeks old and that the priest was advised to depart because of dangerous air raids there and, not on account of subversive activities. Reuter.
Canton, 9.30 am. Shortly before 8.30 a.m. to- day an air raid alarm sounded warning all over Canton.
According to Chinese sources, three Japanese planes were sighted over Tongkwawan and are now in the vicinity of Bocca Tigris, but it is too early for details.
The most likely objectives are the railways and the planes may not even pass near Canton. Reuter.
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Shanghai, To-day. The hand of the Japanese censors who assumed duties in the foreign cable companies on Jan. 6, has already been felt. A despatch from Victor Keen, correspondent of the New York “Herald-Tribune,” - describing excesses of Japanese troops after occupation of Hangchow, held up for more than thirteen hours, after which Keen was informed that the message could not be sent be- cause the censor lacked inform- ation to confirm the allegations therein. Keen raised the ques- tion at the daily press confer- ence, at which a Japanese Em- bassy spokesman expressed re- gret at the occurrence. He said the censors were installed only on Jan. 6 and, were not yet familiar with their task. Reu- ter
Shanghai, To-day The British consul at Nan king, Mr. Prideau-Brune, left for Nanking yesterday on board H.MS. (
Cricket to investigate the condition of the Embassy, consulate and other British property in the former Chinese capital. He will not reopen the British Embassy. Reuter
POPULAR FALLACIES
That Jerusalem artichokes originated In the Holy Land,
This is not solven They are never seen in the Holy Land and will not even grow there. ROYAL TYPEWRITERS, howev can be SEEN in every up- office and the demand for them GROWING wherever busines ficiency is considered an impor tant item
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