HSUCHOW WALLS

Grey River Argus, 20 May 1938, Page 7

HSUCHOW WALLS

REACHED BY JAPS.

Quarter Million Troops Within

[Aust. & N Z. Cable Assn.] SHANGHAI, May 18.

Twenty-four hours of Japanese bombardment from mountainous Pawangshan, and seven westward, are claimed to have breached the western walls of Hsuchow. There was bitter fighting all night, when the Japanese advance guard encountered the Chinese at Yaolin, ten miles to the southwest.

! The Japanese estimate that a quart er of a million Chinese troops, mostly i provincials, are still at Hsuchow i where confusion and terror reign. Japanese 'planes are dropping leaflets advising surrender. ■ The Chinese authorities admit the 'gravity of the situation at Hsuchow. and heavy casualties, including generals Lipifan and Chowyuan, both killed, respectively the Hunan and Kwangsi commanders. Another Japanese force is attacking Woniushan immediately west of Hsuchow, wherefrom the Japanese admit that Kaishek’s personal direction succeeded in extricating the best troops.

■ The Japanese report that 100,090 Chinese have begun a general retreat southward and south eastward, with 1 the intention of taking up a line between Kweiteh and Chengchow. According to tho Japanese, the distinguished general, Litsungjen, com.mander at Hsuchow, will be tried for deserting his post by withdrawing an army of 400,000 to avoid encirclement. HSUCHOW COMMANDER. NOT BEING COURT-MARTIALLED. LONDON. May 19. The Shanghai correspondent ot “The Times” says:-—The Chinese deny that General Litsungjen, who has been commanding at Hsuchow, is being tried. According to an earlier Japanese report, the General, Litsungjen, was to be tried for deserting his post by withdrawing an army of 400,000 to avoid encirclement. The I Chinese report that he is still com- : manding at Hsuchow. ) Chinese Retreat HELD UP WEST OF HSUCHOW. JAPANESE CUT THE RAILWAY. (Received May 19, 9.45 p.m.) LONDON, May 18. The Shanghai correspondent of “The Times" says: The Japanese report the capture of Changchuang, which is three and a-half miles southwest of Hsuchow. The Japanese have also entered Suhsien. Japanese air scouts report that Japanese flying columns have been cutting the Lunghai Railway at many points to the westward of Suchow, and thus they have immobilised ninety Chinese trains. This hold-up is aggravating the difficulties of the evacuation of Hsuchow. ATTACK ON HANKOW. NEXT JAP. MOVE. SHANGHAI, May 18. The Japanese Foreign Office spokesman says that probably the next attack will be on Hankow. Twelve Japanese warships and seven transports arrived south-west of Macao. CAPTURE OF AMOR. WHOLESALE SHOOTINGS ! ALLEGED. A JAPANESE REPRISAL. RUGBY, May 18. Mr. R. A. Butler, replying to a House of Commons question about the reported wholesale shooting of 1 Chinese prisoners, and the machine- 1 gunning of boats containing Chinese women and children at Amoy, said that he had no official reports that boats containing Chinese yvomen and children were machine-gunned, but a < number of Chinese soldiers were < taken prisoner and shot on the Amoy < Bund. He added that the British i Government could not too strongly ; deplore and condemn such a violation of the Hague Convention. < LONDON, May 19. The Hongkong correspondent of 1 “The Times” says:— 1 The Japanese rounded up, and shot, < one hundred Chinese in Amoy, as a reprisal for a bomb being thrown in < the Amoy Bund, which killed seven members of a Japanese patrol.