HEAVY DEFEAT

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 26, 30 July 1937, Page 9

HEAVY DEFEAT

CHINESE IN TIENTSIN

MUCH DAMAGE DONE

(Received July 30, 11.25 a.m.) LONDON, July 29. The Japanese claim that they heavily defeated the Chinese at Tientsin after eight hours' fighting. Scores of Japanese aeroplanes bombarded and machine-gunned the principal buildings in the .Chinese city, destroying the municipal centre and damaging the Chinese suburbs. The Nankai University, the central station, and the militia headquarters are blazing. There are thousands of casualties. Panic-stricken Chinese are fleeing to the international concessions. The explosions of the Japanese bombardment shook the whole of Tientsin. The Asiatic Petroleum Company's plant is reported to have been set on fire. Stray bullets killed 15 persons in the French concession. A Japanese announcement asserts that 2000 Chinese attacked the Japanese concession and were repulsed, losing .300 men. Foreign ' Consuls are attempting to arrange a truce. Chinese occupied the former Austrian, Belgian, and Russian concessions, seized lighters being used for "the landing of Japanese troops and supplies, and drank the beer in them. An /Italian soldier and a French soldier were killed while on sentry duty. The firing was so heavy near the Italian concession that guards occupied a large section of the neighbouring city between the concession and the international . bridge, which was impassable because of sniping. .