JAPANESE ADMIT REVERSE

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22415, 31 May 1938, Page 9

JAPANESE ADMIT REVERSE

DEFEAT INFLICTED AT LANGFENG OPERATIONS IN LUNGHAI SECTOR STRATEGIC POINTS TAKEN BY CHINESE (UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION —COPYRIGHT J (Received May 30, 9 p.m.) PEIPING, May 29. The Japanese admit a reverse at Langfeng, the spearhead of their thrust to the interior. They state that they are fighting with their backs to the Yellow river. In addition to, the capture of Langfeng, the Chinese claim that they have recaptured Menghsien, Tsinyang, Winhsien and other strategic points on the north bank of the Yellow river, which removes the danger of the Japanese cutting the Lunghai railway to the westward of Changchow. A message from Tokyo says the Japanese have completed the occupation of Kweiteh, which deprives the Chinese of the base from which they had been operating in the rear on the Japanese in the Langfeng sector. A Shanghai message says that the Japanese claim to have outflanked the Chinese at Chengchow and forced an entry into Pohsien, 40 miles south of Kweiteh, whence the Japanese are hastening to relieve General K. Doihara’s army, against which Marshal Chiang Kai-shek is directing an offensive from Chengchow. CANTON BOMBED AGAIN AIR RAID CASUALTIES REACH 1300 PRESSURE OF REFUGEES INTO HONG KONG (Received May 31, 1 a.m.) CANTON. May 30. In the third successive daily air raid on Canton 20 aeroplanes dropped 40 bombs, mainly on Government offices, but adjacent dwellings again suffered. A continuous anti-aircraft barrage endangered the foreign settlement at Shameen, which the raiders had hitherto avoided. Weeping women continuously searched for relatives among the smouldering debris. The devastation included many of the flimsy, poorer houses, which burned like tinder, and also eight mansions of wealthy Chinese in the Tungshan district. •The worst horrors were on the river-front, where thousands, terrorstricken, huddled in their wrecked homes or on river-boats. Steamers bound for Hong Kong had to sail early to escape the swarms of refugees pressing to the quaysides. The British United Press estimates that 300 were killed to-day, making the total for the three days 1300. The British gunboats Cicada and Seahen are on their way to Canton from Hong Kong to join the Moth and Tarantula. A Hong Kong message states that the 750,000 refugees already in the city were swelled at the week-end by 9000 from Canton and many from Amoy. The total will soon reach 1,000,000. The problem of caring for them is most difficult because of the lack of accommodation and anxiety lest cholera or smallpox should break out. Inoculation is being hurriedly carried out. < The authorities are considering closing the frontier. BRITISH FORCES DELAYED RAILWAY LINE WRECKED BY JAPANESE LONDON, May 29. Forty minutes after 200 British naval ratings had entrained at Wongsha station, Canton, to-day, for Hankow, 40 Japanese war aeroplanes bombed Canton, concentrating on the station and the Chinese batteries at Honan Island. It is believed that the Japanese must have been aware that special trains were due to take British naval ratings to Hankow when they bombed Canton yesterday. In spite of a notification of the dispatch yesterday of a special train carrying British naval ratings to relieve the crews of British gunboats on the Yangtse river, the Japanese wrecked the Kowloon-Canton railway overnight, so that the train was unable to lehve. THE KELLOGG BRIAND PACT • COMMENT BY JAPANESE SPOKESMAN (Received May 30, 11 p.m.) TOKYO, May 29. Referring to Mr Cordell Hull’s reminder to European Governments of their obligation under the KelloggBnand Pact to outlaw war, the Foreign Office spokesman (Mr Tatsuo

Kawai) declared in an interview that Mr Hull was an admirable idealist, but the world-wide situation since the pact was signed was sufficient commentary on its value. CHANGE IN JAPANESE WAR MINISTRY (Receivet May 31, 12.50 a.m.) TOKYO, May 30. As part of the Cabinet reconstruction, Lieutenant-General Eiki Tojo, Chief of Staff of the Kwantung Army, has been appointed ViceMinister' for War.