1937-12-23 — Page 7

THE CHINA MAIL DECEMBER 23, 1987.

Pare

CHINA'S CHANGE OF TACTICS Plan Will Seek To Evade Major Engagements

SMALL COLUMNS OF CHRISTMAS BRITISH

GUERILLAS

Hankow, To-day.

EXPRESS

JOURNALIST A

Judging from various signs and events, the FOR HONG KONG YEAR IN PRISON

Chinese High Command has decided to adopt a dif- ferent form of tactics in the fighting that is about to be staged in the territory between Nanking and Hankow.

Apparently the plan will be to seek to evade ma- jor engagements with the Japanese forces, which so far have been able to rely for the success on their superior equipment.

Instead, all available troops will be formed into relatively small columns, which will be sent out to harass the enemy and, while incurring the minimum losses themselves, will seek to inflict the greatest possible damage, parti- cularly to enemy communications.

As regards the strategic posi tion in the Yangtse Valley, it ap pears that the main Japanese ob- jective is capture of Hsinyang,

STATE FUNERAL

OF GEN. LUDENDORFF

Munich, To-day. Impressive scenes were wit- on the Peiping-Hankow Railway-nessed yesterday at the state

ceremony in honour of the late General Erich Ludendorff.

JAPANESE ADVANCE

The funeral procession through Despatches reaching Hankow

the town, in which the coffin was last night speak of resumption of Japanese advance on the Hwainan borne on a gun-carriage, was headed railway line, which starts from by a band and a military guard of Yuchih, on the Yangtse opposite Wuhu.

honour.

On the coffin were the late gener- One account says the Japanese als helmet and military orders. have already entered Toachin,

On either side walked four gener-

this railway, and are advancing on als, and immediately behind the Hofei, which lies on the strategically coffin, Herr Hitler. important road between the Tien-

:

The route was lined by troops and

tsin-Pukow and Peiping-Hankow thousands of spectators. Trans- Railways and leads to Hsinyang.

The Chinese High Command had taken measures designed to halt this Japanese drive on Hsinyang, and is making use of the tactics de- scribed above.

It is planned to erect a new boom across the Yangtse near Kwangshi- kang, half way between kiang and

HankowTrans-Ocean.

CHUNGKING SWAMPED BY REFUGEES

Hankow, To-day.

An unprecedented situation has been created at Chungking as a result of considerable ex- odus from Hankow.

The city is now so crammed that the authorities are not al- lowing further arrivals, with the result that many steamers loaded

with refugees have been com pelled to disgorge their human cargoes at Ichang and Wan hsien

There is no more housing ac commodation at Chungking, where many shops are doing business all day and are renting out their counters at night as sleeping quarters.

Chungking is also facing a serious food shortage, and the authorities here are urging all refugees going into Szechuen to bring their own foodstuffs.

Ocean.

GOVERNMENT'S FAILURE

Bucharest, To-day. For the first time in Rutnanian parliamentary history the Govern ment Party has failed to obtain the necessary majority in the elections for the Chamber which have just ended.

The Liberal Party of M.

Hankow, To-day. Preparations for the depar ture to-day of the "Christmas Express, which will evacuate more than 300 foreign nation als to Hong Kong, have been

completed.

yesterday morning at the Can- Booking of passages opened

man

was

ton-Hankow Railway's booking office on a bulk off the ex-Ger- Concession, which jammed by a large crowd wait- ing to secure passages.

Many waited for more than two hours in lines five or six deep.

Time of departure of the train has been fixed at 9 o'clock this morning, and the railway authorities hope to arrange to have the train switched along the loop line to Kowloon with out touching Canton.

Total capacity of the train is 324 passengers, and there is every reason to believe it will be filled when it leaves.

Majority of the passengers are leaving most of their be- longings behind because only a limited amount of baggage is allowed.

Among the passengers are se veral Russian taxi dancers from Hankow's cabarets who are eager to go to Shanghai, and have obtained transit visas from the British authorities in or der to pass through Hong Kong. Meanwhile, it is hoped that another train can be arranged during Christmas week although

WITHOUT TRIAL

London, To day.

The Foreign Secretary was ques- tioned in the Commons regarding Peter Caddy.

young Brit journalist who was arrested over a year ago by the Spanish insurgent authorities and has been detained ever since without trial in prison at Algeciras.

It is understood that the alleged reason of the arrest is a suspected infringement of currency regula- tions, but in spite of repeated pro- tests by the British Consular re- presentatives, no specific charge has been preferred against Caddy.

The prolonged delay in bringing [him to trial was the subject of re- presentations to the Salamanca authorities by the British Ambas sador at Hendaye some time ago but no satisfaction was received and Mr. Eden told the House th Sir Benry Chilton had now been instructed to make it clear to the Salamanca authorities that the British Government, took a serious view of the case.

The Ambassador was to emphas ise that the trial should take place forthwith and adequate facility should be afforded for the prison- er's defence British Wireless

at present the possibility fairly rem Reuter

GERMANY

Tatarescu polled only 28 per cent. When travelling in Germany and on German ships

instead of the 40 per cent. required by the electoral system.

The Government, however, will not resign before Parliament is con- vened on Feb. 17. and a coalition

is the probable result--Trans- Ocean.

ANGLO-FRENCH DISCUSSIONS

London, To-day.

The Foreign Secretary told the Commons, replying to a question, that no arrangements had been made for further conversations be- tween British and French states- men, following Monsieur Delbos return from his Central European tour, but exchanges of view would, of course, proceed as usual through diplomatic channels-Bri- tish Wireless.

Mr. "Jock" Gard,

A situation, though denly yesterday,

not so

Reuter.

exists at Changsha.

taken sud- erated on at the French Hospital this morn

for appendicitis.

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