1937-11-09 — Page 6

CHINESE

THE CHINA MAIL, NOVEMBER

WITHDRAW

FROM SOOCHOW CREEK Japanese Cross Bridge To Find Empty Trenches

$20,000,000 JAPANESE MILL SECRET CODE

FIRST SET ON FIRE

RETIREMENT COVERED BY GALLANT REAR GUARD ACTIONS

Shanghai, To-day.

At 8.50 this morning following confirmation of the Chinese withdrawal, a Reuter correspondent saw the first Japanese cross the damaged Jessfield railway bridge and walk along the track outside the defence perimeter held by the Loyals.

a

The Japanese was a bearded officer wearing sword and carrying a revolver, which he fired as he walked warily along.

BIBLE

LOCAL BANK IN CONVERTED

MYSTERY $31,000 MISSING

Reticence is at present being observed regarding a sensational affair at the

Hong Kong branch of the Bank of Kwangsi, involving, it is understood, the dis.

MILLER ABDUCTION

CLUE

Paris, To-day.

An important clue that may at last throw some light on the mystery sur- rounding the abduction of the former Czarist of- mysterious disappearance of this been discovered by the The Police are investigating the ficer, General Miller, has sun, which is causing considerable

appearance of $31,000 from the vaults.

puzzlement as it is stated that the French police during ex- He was followed by another officer and a de-vaults is known only to two respon in the flat of General combination of the locks of the amination of books found tachment of men, all of whom carefully inspected the dug-outs which had been occupied only the day before by y Chinese troops.

stole members of the Bank's staff.

With their rifles at the ready, they were pre-$500 notes. pared for an exchange of fire but the Chinese had gone.

Withdrawal of the Chinese!

PLANE'S PART

forces, which brought to a climax The aeroplane played a good, and} the gallant struggle of manprobably decisive part in the Ja- against metal, began at 2 o'clock panese victory, but the Japanese this morning.

also had the advantage in tanks, armoured cars and heavy artillery. While sympathisers with China are full of regret at the turn of events, they recognise it as inevit able, and among business circles there is a feeling of relief that the war is moving from Shanghai.

Before leaving, the Chinese set fire to the $20,000.000, Japanese owned Toyoda cotton mill, on the south bank of Soochow Creek, quarter of a mile from Jessfield railway bridge-Renter

CAUTIOUS ADVANCE

Shanghai, To-day.

NEW HOPE

Their one hope is that conditions will soon enable. Shanghai to re- sume its place as one of the great As the morning drew on the world centres of trade and com- Japanese who had crossed Jessfield merce, and enable them to recoup Bridge at 8.50 a.m. advanced up some of the losses which they have

the Shanghai-Hangchow Railway suffered since the outbreak of hos-

slowly and cautiously, and took up tilities-Reuter. positions on the western side of

the defence perimeter manned by the Loyal North Lancs Begiment.

RETIRING IN

Slowly, Japanese bayonets began GOOD ORDER

to encircle Shanghai, and the pro- cess is expected to be completed to-day (the eighty-ninth day of the war) or to-morrow.

REARGUARD HARASSING

The Chinese rearguard is har- rassing the enemy and is making their advance as difficult as pos- sible.

The lesson of the Shanghai war. according to foreign military ob servers, is that numerically super- for forces have

chane in the smaller, weil-

long run

Chanised forces.

The first Japanese- crossing of

Jessfield

Sing wiss

sector

Shanghit

Gemeral

rallway bridge this morn- essed by the Loyals' mander of the forces, Major Telfer Smollett,

who was accompanied by Mr R. G.

Hows, the British charge d'affair

and Mr. G. J. Chancellor, Reuter's

Shanghai, To-day. The prediction of General Matsui, Japanese commander- in-chief, that the Shanghai area would be cleared of Chin- ese troops by November 10, is being fulfilled.

The bulk of the Chinese forces on the westem front are now withdrawing quietly and in good order, while the rearguard is fighting a bitter action

Scattered Chinese outposts are engaging

but

withdrawal or ann

these outposts

some time to-day.

This development mea the warfare round will for the first

There were no signs of any tam- Skoblin. pering with the locks. The missing General Skoblin, it will money is said to consist mainly of recalled, was suspected of com- plicity in the affair when he dis- All the employees of the Bank appeared at about the same time. were kept on the premises to a very. The police found among the late hour last night.

books & Bible which had been con- The Bank's funds, which are perio-verted into a secret code, and are dically checked, were checked a few now decoding all letters received days ago and were then intact. by General Skoblin's wife with the

help of the Bible.

ATTEMPT ON

LIFE OF YEN

HSI-SHAN

Perping, To-day. Japanese agents a few days ago made an unsuccessful attempt on

the life of Marshal Yen Heishan

Govenor of Shansi, according to confirmed reports circulating There

sports circul

They think that General Skoblin, after his disappearance, kept touch with his wife

WIFE'S ANXIETY

A newspaper report states that the police only examined the Bible following repeated requests for the book by the General's wife, who said she wanted it so that the could relieve the strain of her de tention in gaol by study of the Holy Scriptures Trans-Ocean.

OVIEDO GARRISON HONOURED

The attempt is alleged to have

Burgo, To-day occurred while Marshal Yen was

General Franco has conferred travelling by car from Taiyuanfu highest military decoration of the the Order of San Fernando, the to Pingyang, 230 kilometres south,

Nationalists on the gar

of the provincial capital. To which Oviedo in recognitione town both the government and Army headquarters have been re

heroism displayed: during the 90-day

Apparently a bomb was thrown by Government

at the Shansi war lord, who, it is

was wounded.

trans-

only a phase

not the

MEIN SE HANDS

troops, sh

have

Hungjao Road and occupied the Hungiao

Ocean

of

the

FRENCH FASCISTS FALL OUT

with

here: rought

Rocque

Colonel

leader, by

member of the Fasc

Colonel de la Rocque was

a tine of

ent of 3,000 Francs

free months be

the

They have also Kiangkiao, some three mile "the south-west of

to

tion Croix

deavouring

bomb Reater.

General Manager for the Far East. that Soochow

plaintif