FIERCE CHINESE BATTLES.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 249, 20 October 1924, Page 5

FIERCE CHINESE BATTLES.

NORTHERNERS' CRUSHING VICTORY. NO BURLESQUE ABOUT IT. (By Cable.—Press AsuociaUon.—Copyrtglit.) (Iteeclveil -.'.: iii p.m.i PEKING, October 10. Five divisions and two brigades which wore sent t<. Shan Hiti Kwan to drive our the .Mukden forces which were threatening an invasion were completely shattered in a series of battles which have been raging just south of the <!reat j Wall for a fortnight. These force* am I now rut iiiTo three isolated parts, anil are Mirroiinded by the northerners, who are determined to annihilate them. A message from Mukden estimates the enemy casualties at half tin- total number engaged. They are unable to reinforce, and their munitions are becoming exhausted. The troops belonging to Peking are making desperate attempts to force their way out. \Vu Pci-fu, who was regarded as invincible, lias fled on board a cruiser which was driven from Ching Wang Tao with the rest of the fleet by twenty aeroplanes belonging to the" Mukden forces. Two warships were set on tire. The Mukden troops are approaching •leliol, the capture of which will be followed by the bombing of Peking, which is within easy flying distance. Experienced eye-witnesses state that the fighting in the north has been as severe as it wita in many of the jjreat battles of the (Jrekt War in Kurope, and altogether dissimilar from the. usual burlesque which in the past waa called fighting in China.—(A. and N.Z. Cable. SILVER BTJXIET WINS AGAIN. PEKING BREATHES ONCE MORE PEKING, October in. The Cholangites arc laying down their arms on receipt of twenty dollars each and free repatriation to their homes. The foreign authorities here believe that all danger is now past. Before the troops accepted the offer the position was regarded as being serious, owing to the fact that there were : between ten and tifteen thousand of these Cheki&ng troops without any leaders, entrenched cm the railway a-quartcr of a mile from the boundary of the international settlement. They refused to surrender on terms offered them by (hi, knowing that he was reluctant to attack them, owing to the proximity of their trenches to the foreign settlements and his fears that if he defeated them they would sack the Chinese city. He first offered, them ten dollars each and repatriation to their own provinces if they would lay down their arms. This was refused, aiid they stuck out for 10 dollars.—(A. and X.Z.)