HSUCHOW FALLS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23505, 20 May 1938, Page 9

HSUCHOW FALLS

JAPANESE SUCCESS TROOPS ENTER CITY CHINESE RETREAT IN DISORDER “A VAST SLAUGHTERHOUSE” (United Press Association) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright) LONDON, May 19. (Received May 20, at 0.30 p.m.) The Chinese front on northeast Hsuchow collapsed, after which the Japanese entered the city. The Japanese crossed the Grand Canal between Hanchuang and Taierchwang, where the Chinese for weeks held up the Japanese drive. The Chinese are retreating in disorder, permitting a rapid, general advance into Hsuchow. The Japanese claim to have captured the whole of Hsuchow except the southern section. Previously they occupied the western portion as a result of the downfall of the Chinese strong point at Changchuang, four miles from the west gate. Trapped in City It is estimated that between 100,000 and 150.000 Chinese provincial soldiers are in the city and have little hope of escape. The picturesque city is becoming a vast slaughterhouse, with numerous buildings now shattered and ablaze. The Chinese are now counterattacking desperately. Hankow reports sanguinary fighting along the Lunghaj railway from Hsuchow to Langfeng. Only the CantonHankow railway is now intact for the Chinese. Railway Cut The Shanghai correspondent of The Times says that the Japanese report the capture of Changchuang, three miles and a-half south-west of Hsuchow. They also claim to have entered Suhsien. Air scouts report that flying columns are cutting the Lunghai railway at many points westward of Hsuchow, and have thus stopped 90 Chinese trains. In consequence the difficulties of evacuation have been aggravated. THREE HUNDRED KILLED HEAD-ON RAILWAY SMASH SEVERAL OFFICIALS ARRESTED HONGKONG, May 19. (Received May 19, at 11.30 p.m.) It is repotred that 300 persons were killed in a head-on train collision on the Canton-Hankow railway. The cause of the accident is not known, but it is stated that several railway officials have been arrested. CONDEMNED BY BRITAIN WHOLESALE SHOOTING AT AMOY JAPANESE ACTIONS DEPLORED LONDON, May 19. (Received May 19, at 9.10 p.m.) The Hongkong correspondent of The Times says that the Japanese rounded up and shot 100 Chinese as a reprisal for the throwing of a bomb at Amoy. The outrage resulted in the deaths of seven members of a Japanese patrol. The Under-secretary for Foreign Affairs (Mr E. A. Butler), replying in the House of Commons to a question about the reported wholesale shooting of Chinese prisoners, and the machine-gunning of boats containing Chinese women and children at Amoy, said he had no official reports that boats containing women 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 Government could not too strongly deplore and condemn such violation of The Hague Convention.