1937-12-13 — Page 9

THE CHINA MALL, DECEMBER 13,

are

NANKING'S HEROIC DEFENCE Japanese Taken Aback By Stubborn Resistance

MOWED DOWN BY CAPITAL MACHINE-GUNS STILL

Nanking, To-day.

Furious fighting continued all night in Nan- king, with the Japanese plainly being taken back by the stubborness of Chinese resistance.

The massive city wall and deep moat are prov- ing a good bulwark even against the most modern weapons.

Both sides have sustained heavy casualties. The invaders rain down bombs and shells but whenever they try to advance the Chinese mow them down with machine-guns.

HOLDING OUT

Hankow, To-day

A Chinese Government spokes man said this morning that a long distance phone call from Nanking at mght brought information to high officials that the capital is still holding out against desperate at tempts by the Japanese to effect

FOREIGN REFUGEES FROM HANKOW

Canton, To-day.

A batch of 130 foreigners, most- Canton from Hankow this morning ly women and children, arrived in

by special refugee train

The trip was without

planes sighted, though on one occasion the train took refuge in a tunnel near the Hynan-Kwangtung bor-

der, when it was reported that an entry.

an air raid was in progress. The spokesman admitted that nearby. Reuter Chinese sacrifices were enormous, but Japanese caualties heavy

The Chinese launched aling The

Chinese troops re

also for in holding back the Japanese. powerful counter-attack yester captured the point after one of the

CASUALTIES SETA day but the Japanese claim to fiercest battles around Nanking

A herca battle was progressing The Chinese have cons have repulsed them.

It is admitted in Japanese mili- The garrison commander, tary quarters that in that area in the vicinity of Kwanghna Men. their line at Hoping General Tang Sheng-chi, is super-they have suffered their

Six Chinese bombing planes have Japanese canalhes are mo vising operations from a tank, in losses in the battle for the Capital joining the defenders of Nanking which he visited all main points-Our Own Correspondent. of the defence yesterday.

Reuter.

CHUNG SHAN GATE ACTION

Shanghai, To-day.

.

Bringing re-inforcements on the Nanking-Wuku Highway which leads to the entrance of the Chang

heaviest

and are forming an important fac

JAPANESE

GIVEN

BIG SURPRISE

Hankow, To-day.

Another day of bitter fighting hersided the dawn

Chinese and Japanese batteries, which had kept up an intermittent fire during the night, opened up s bitter artillery duel.

An official communique by Gen- eral Matsuïs headquarters in Shanghai last night disclosed that the Chinese launched a "tenaci ous” counter-offensive.

Nanking its not only still in Chinese hands but This, it was claimed, had been

repulsed, and the Chinese troops. crushed back.

TOKYO CANNOT WAIT Japanese bombers and artillery, and even anti-aircraft guns, are

being used by the Japanese to at

Shan Gate, the Japanese attempted the defenders are giving the Japanese a bigger sur- to storm the Gate early this morn prise than they received in the Battle of Shanghai. This much is clear from a telephone message from the beleaguered capital, which has put an end to dozens of wild rumours which had been circulat-tempt to effect further breach in ing in Hankow owing to the almost complete ces- the walls of the capital, according sation of telegraphic and telephonic communica- tion from Nanking.

YUGO-SLAVIAN PREMIER ON ROME VISIT

Paris, To-day

Belbos,

to Japanese reports.

Although Nanking has not fallen, huge lantern parades took place in Tokyo and Nagoya yesterday in

Shanghai, To-day. The Chungshan Men, main gate on the east wall of Nau- king, was captured by the Ja panese at 6 o'clock this morn- ing, according to Japanese re ports

This gives the Japanese full control of the south and east

Reuter

Yesterday's fighting was this posts without flinching, and with celebration of the Japanese "vic- morning vividly described by superhuman bravery, advanced tory" Reuter.. Trans-Ocean's correspondent in again and again against the at- Nanking, one of the few news tacking Japanese, all of whose at- M. Stoyadinovitch, the Yugo-

papermen who have risked their tempts to take the city by storm are Slavian Premier, in the course of aves to get an eye-witness story of breaking down owing to the stab conversation with the French For the fighting.

born resistance of the Chinese eign Minster, M. Yvon

The heavens, he says, literally troops. yesterday, confirmed the Tugo-rained bombs all day yesterday Whatever the eventual result, an- Slavian Government's decision not and it was a wonder that anything other glorious page has been writ- to sign the Anti-Couzintern Pact, still remained alive in the city. ten in China's military history. according to the Havas news agency. The Nanking telegraph offices re- Trans-Ocean.

M. Stoyadinovitch is reported to ceived a direct hit from a 500-lb- have insisted that his journey to bomb yesterday, and it was hours Rome was to return Count Ciano's before the heroic staff could get visit to Belgrade, and was purely a the instruments working again. courtesy visit.

· SAFETY ZONE TRAGEDY A number of bombs exploded in Speaking at an official dinner and reception in Paris, the Slav Pre- the so-called "safety zone," which mier stated: "The official desire of up till then had escaped. friendly and constructive collabora Nothing is known of the loss of tion between France and Yugo Slavia, is the fundamental line of our foreign policy."--Reuter

life suffered, though it is more than probable that heavy casual- ties resulted, since the area in question is only about two kilo- metres long and one kilometre wide, and in this small ares are crowd- led more than 100,000 fugitives of

Sale Of Work all ages

In Hankow, every report from Sale of Work is to be held at Nanking is received with feveris. Stephen's Girl College, on tension.

Saturday next, bn behalf of the HEROISM BEYOND PARALLEL MCL and other charities and will commence at 11

diptheria

It is abvious say foreign m tary observers, that the heroi Nanking's defenders surpass parallel, and that this alon enabled them to face without two of ing, the undoubte ical of typhoid fe

Des

A MERRY AND BRIGHT SHOW !

THE

ARCADIANS

Presented By

Hong Kong Philharmonic Society THIS WEEK

4 NIGHTS ONLY 4

DECEMBER 15, 16, 17 & 18

at 9.20 each evening

THE

ADMISSION: $3.30, $220, $1.10

QUEEN'S

Service $2420, $1.10, 55 ets.

Saturday,