JAPANESE DRIVE

Grey River Argus, 17 May 1938, Page 7

JAPANESE DRIVE

TOWARD HSUHOW Vast Encircling Move JAPANESE ARMIES LINK UP. lAust. & N.Z. Cable Assn.] LONDON, May 15. “The Times" Tokio correspondent says: The Japanese, by cutting the Lunghai railway at three points, claim that they have caught the Chinese armies like rats in a trap.

A dispatch states that the Japanese are gradually shortening their encircling lines in order to develop one of the greatest annihilating operations of the war. The Chiang Kai-shek lifie, which took seven years to construct, is allegedly collapsing, and the Chinese defending Hsuchow are thrown inextricably into confusion.

Air squadrons are bombing the fugitives, and have destroyed the telegraph and telephone offices at Hsuchow.

The British United Press correspondent at Shanghai says; Four Japanese armips, comprising sixteen mechanised columns, are participating in the final drive on Hsuchow, from whence General Li Tsungjen, one of China’s best strategists, is reported to have fled by air, leaving half his army of 406,000 men, whom he led in Hsuchow last week. German advisers have planned and supervised the Chinese retreat. The Chinese deny it is a rout, declaring that the most important equipment is being concentrated at Kaifeng, while 200,000 remain at Hsuchow to sell their lives dearly in a rearguard action. Meanwhile, the Japanese armies of North and South China.have functioned, and form a single force, able to change direction at will, instead of fighting on separate fronts. Reports from Taiyuanfu state that twenty thousand Chinese volunteers, fighting for the Japanese, crossed the Suanchwan, where they were joined by portions of the mutinous ShansiSzecbuan armies, who are marching on Sianfu. CHINESE CHECK DRIVE. (Received May 16, 10 p.m.) LONDON, May 16. A Chinese victory, in Northern Anwhei has, at least, temporarily checked the Japanese drive in the Lunchai area,” says the “Daily Telegraph’s” Hongktng correspondent. “Chinese drove their opponents from Siaohsien and Yuncheun, threatening Japanese lines of communication, thus indicating that the Japanese are premature in their assertion that their Northern and Southern Armies have effected a junction.