CHINESE STAND

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 140, 10 March 1941, Page 8

CHINESE STAND

Japanese Attempt To

Drive Inland

(Received March 9, 10 pan.)

HONGKONG, March 8.

Chinese troops were reported today to be offering vigorous resistance to Japanese forces attempting to drive inland after landings on the Kwangtung coast on Monday. Chinese dispatches said the landings were not contested, because Chinese strategy all along had been to withdraw beyond range of Japanese naval bombardments before making a stand.

They said the coast was practically undefended to a depth of 15 miles, and added that foreign interests had been hit hard by Japanese landings, since many towns occupied were entry ports for trade with Shanghai and Hongkong. For example considerable qt&ntitiee of goods were previously shipped to Hong Kong from Yeungkong and Kwanghoi for export to the United States.

According to a Shanghai message Japanese military authorities claimed tonight that their offensive in the northern Hepeh province during the last three weeks had cost the Chinese 8000 dead, as against 28 Japanese dead and 85 wounded.

The Chungking National People’s Council yesterday made a gesture aimed at ending the split between Chinese Communists and General Chiang Kai-shek. The Communist delegates to the council were asked to attend the meetings again so that all political problems may be settled to the interests of future war resistance.