CHAPEI IN FLAMES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23334, 28 October 1937, Page 11

CHAPEI IN FLAMES

CHINESE FORCES RETIRING TAKING UP NEW POSITIONS PURSUED BY JAPANESE PLANES A BRITISH POST FIRED ON (United Press Association) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright) LONDON. Oct. 27. (Received Oct. 27, at 8 p.m.) A fire of unprecedented dimensions is raging at Chapei, where the Chinese blew up and ignited buildings before retiring. The British United Press correspondent states that the Chinese are taking up new positions on the south bank of Soochow Creek, beyond the highways outside the International Settlement. Mr Pembroke Stephens, in a depatch to the Daily Telegraph, says Japanese planes which were pursuing retreating Chinese, machinegunned a British post on Brenan road. The British retaliated, hitting the plane, but not bringing it down. There were no British casualties. A later message from Mr Stephens states that Chapei was evacuated without fighting in the early hours of the morning. The Japanese victory is complete. THE CHINESE CASUALTIES SHANGHAI, Oct. 26. The Japanese Spokesman estimates that the Chinese casualties to October 23 total 250,000, of which number 67,000 were left on the battlefields. SITUATION AT TAZANG FOREIGNERS ANXIOUS LONDON, Oct. 26. The Shanghai correspondent of The Times says: "Although the Chinese are disappointed at their failure to withstand the thrust at Tazang, they are confident of their ability to continue the resistance. The situation is causing renewed anxiety to foreigners, as hostilities are nearing the western perimeter of the Settlement, which the British are manning. LOSS OF TAZANG ADMITTED SHANGHAI, Oct. 26. The Chinese admit the loss of Tazang, but claim that the Japanese advance has been held up, which was admitted by General Terauchi, who repeated his allegation that the Chinese are using poison gas. \ NEW ARMY FACING JAPANESE SHANGHAI, Oct. 26. (Received Oct. 27, at 9 p.m.) Chinese divisions, after ' two months of a heroic but losing campaign, have been withdrawn. The Japanese find a cheerful new army facing them at the rear of Tazang, which was practically encircled before its abandonment. Seven large Japanese tanks advanced on the Tazang-Shanghai road and demolished a barricade, but camouflaged Chinese anti-tank guns drove them back. The Japanese then •began a bombardment of the area. The Chinese blew up a bridge ahead of the Japanese, killing over-daring advance troops and setting fire to an ammunition dump. THE BOYCOTT MOVEMENT WARNING TO AUSTRALIA SYDNEY, Oct. 27. (Received Oct. 27, at 11.30 p.m.) Warning that the Japanese Government regards the boycott movement in Australia against Japanese goods as very serious. Mr J. Yamashita, a member of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce, at Sydney, declared that a section of the Australian public, including women's organisations and a section of the Church, were acting in a very unfriendly manner. If this continued it would cause Japan to retaliate against Australia's wool and wheat exports. Mr Yamashita indicated that Japan was likely to enter the wool markets in full strength early in the new year, and, in addition, would arrange for increased shipments of frozen beef for army consumption from both Australia and New Zealand. LORD MAYOR'S RELIEF FUND (British Official Wireless) RUGBY, Oct. 26. (Received Oct. 27, at 5.5 p.m.) The Lord Mayor's Chinese Relief Fund totals £28,000. The sum of £IO.OOO is being spent immediately on medical supplies, and £SOOO is being cabled to China. CONFERENCE POSTPONED BRUSSELS, Oct. 26. The Nine-Power Conference has been postponed until November 3. JAPAN REJECTS INVITATION TOKIO, Oct. 26. All the morning newspapers announce that the Cabinet has decided not to participate in the Nine-Power Brussels Conference. JAPANESE CASUALTIES LISTS NOT PRINTED NOW TOKIO, Oct. 26. (Received Oct. 27. at 5.5 p.m.) The newspapers have ceased printing casualty lists, but the secrecy does not prevent the realisation that many reservists who recently departed for the front have already been killed. JAPANESE OCCUPY ISLAND HONGKONG, Oct. 27. (Received Oct. 28, at 1.15 a.m.) After a bombardment from warships, the Japanese occupied Quemoy Island, at the entrance of Amoy Harbour.

REJOICING IN TOKIO TOKIO, Oct. 27. (Received Oct. 28, at 1.15 a.m.) The city is en fete. One million school children and youths, carrying Rising Sun flags, paraded and converged on the square in front of the Imperial Palace. The Domei Agency reports that a naval landing party cleaned up the Chinese remnants at Chapei. Communication between the Chinese forces and Shanghai has been definitely cut off. EIGHT MILES OF FLAMES SHANGHAI, Oct. 27. (Received Oct 28, at 1.15 a.m.) The Japanese capture of Chapei has ended a 71 days' siege, in which thousands of lives wer? lost. The fire which is raging is believed to be the biggest in the Far East since the Tokio earthquake in 1923. It is estimated that there are eight miles of blazing buildings. Over 100 Japanese warplanes are pursuing the retreating Chinese. A Chinese statement shows that a line of five to 10 miles from the evacuated positions has been taken up by the Chinese, who are determined at all costs to prevent the Japanese occupation of Nantao. The retreat has intensified the difficulties in the Settlement, where hundreds of Chinese wounded are being taken in. THE NEW CHINESE LINES BEYOND RANGE OF WARSHIPS SHANGHAI, Oct. 27. (Received Oct. 28, at 0.15 a.m.)The Japanese, in a powerful offensive along the whole Chapei front at dawn, captured North Station and occupied the adjoining administration building*, the so-called Chinese alcazar. They also occupied the international racecourse and captured Chenju Station, on the Nanking-Shanghai railway. Since early morning the Chinese in North Shanghai have resumed the withdrawal. The Japanese flag flies over North Station, while other flags along the Soochow Creek indicate the progress of the troops pursuing the Chinese. It is estimated that the areas involved amount to several square miles. Further inland Japanese planes are active, gunning and bombing retreating troops. Latest reports indicate that the Japanese suddenly dashed southwards through Chapei, reaching Soochow Creek and cutting off an area in Chapei in which hundreds of Chinese made a bitter stand. Declining foreign advice to surrender, they stated they were determined to remain to the last man. They were trapped within four square miles of flame set ablaze by the Japanese for the purpose of smoking them out. The Chinese Spokesman admitted that the Chinese had abandoned all positions at Kiangwan and Chapei, but claimed that the retreat was orderly. Moreover, it would place the new lines beyond effective range of the Japanese warships on the Yangtse, which have shelled the Chinese mercilessly. Thousands of maddened refugees in Western Shanghai are seeking to enter foreign areas, fearing that the Japanese will soon cross the Soochow Creek. Chinese soldiers are assisting foreign troops to exclude them. -The Japanese are bombing the area and a railway line on which are trucks, close to the British post where Rifleman McGowan was shot on Sunday. It is reported that British troops are firing anti-aircraft guns whenever the Japanese approach too close, in accordance with the British military announcement on Monday. An Italian, who was a member of the Grenadier Defence Force, was killed by shrapnel. ALLEGED USE OF POISON GAS CHARGE BY JAPAN AGAINST CHINA The Japanese Consulate-genera] in Sydney has forwarded to us the following statement issued by the Japanese Foreign Office on October 16:— " Indisputable proof of the use of poison gas by Chinese forces has come into the hands of the Japanese forces at Shanghai. According to official information received at the Foreign Office to-day, the Japanese forces picked up a 95mm shell of a Chinese trench mortar at Taipingchiao. one kilometre to the northwest of Liuchiahang, which lies about eight kilometres to the northeast of Nanhsiang Minute chemical inspection of the shell by experts, which had been carried on for some time, at last established on October 15, beyond any shadow of doubt, that it vas a shell of the dreadful phosgene gas. Japanese fighting in Shanghai have hitherto had various reasons to suspect that the Chinese have been resorting to the use of poison gas. Their suspicions have now been fully substantiated."