CHINESE STILL DEFIANT

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22305, 20 January 1938, Page 11

CHINESE STILL DEFIANT

“Armistice Before Parleys’* JAPANESE OFFENSIVE IN NORTH £ XtamiD PR29B ASSOCIATION-—COPYBIOHT.) Received January 19, 2 p.m.) SHANGHAI, January 18. A Hankow message states that the Premier (Dr. H. H. Kung) declares that the suspension of hostilities is accessary before there can be any negotiations with Japan. The Japanese have begun a strong offensive along the Tientsin-Pukow railway north of Nanking. The Chinese admit that the position is critical. Fighting along the Yangtse and Yellow rivers is proceeding over a snow-covered countryside. A Chinese offensive is directed towards Wuhu. Two Japanese warships steamed upstream and fired a heavy barrage. Chinese flying columns are harassing the Japanese communications on both fronts. A Japanese offensive along the Tientsin-Pukow railway captured Chowshien and Mingkwang. Japanese bombers intent on cutting off China’s supplies on the CantonHankow railway dislocated the train service for six days in succession. The Chinese report that 7000 miners at Formosa, many of them armed, revolted and waged a pitched battle against the Japanese, after which they withdrew to the mountains. Thirty thousand Chinese are making a forced march eastwards from the Honan-Shansi border to stem the Japanese attack on the Shantung front, where it is reported that 400,000 Chinese are massed with the object of preventing the junction of the' Japanese north and south armies. After an application was made by the Japanese military authorities, Brigadier A. P. D. Telfer-Smollett. commander of the British troops in Shanghai, informed them that the Withdrawal of the British troops manning the western defences canhot, be considered while Japanese excesses in the Hungjao district continue. The Hong Kong correspondent of Times” says that the Japanese have informed the British Ambassador at Tokyo of their intention to . ®®P the road from Hong Kong hnder constant aerial bombardment. Foreign signallers evicted i Reported Japanese action * AT TSINGTAO SHANGHAI, January 18. A belated dispatch from Tsingtao discloses that Japanese marines, ®hout to occupy the signal station, drove out one American and two ritish signallers, belonging to the wiusers Marblehead and Dorset*4 ’ a * the point of the bayonet, .Al strong protest evoked a routine gmiogy from the Japanese, and the c Went is regarded as closed. SMALLPOX EPIDEMIC IN HONG KONG / _ HONG KONG, January 18. *or the week ended January 15 mere were 53 deaths from smallpox Sr£he worst epidemic for a decade, is partly attributed influx of refugees. -