A MONTH'S FIGHTING

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11984, 26 February 1932, Page 5

A MONTH'S FIGHTING

SECOND EDITION

LITTLE ACCOMPLISHED YET CHINESE WAR-LORDS KEEN. (Received 10 a.m.) United Press Assn —By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. SHANGHAI. February 25. Foreign officials now believe that the pluses! t struggle will .cantina© indefinitely, providing the Chinese supplies continue, aiul the present support of tlLe whole nation o.ies not abate. Chinese Commanders m all pa-ts of China are now anxious to o.irticipate in hostilities, offering troops. Almost a month's fighting on .tree, fronts has accomplished little, tl-.p Japanese having failed to ca.nt.iro Cliapei and Woosung Village, though they are demolished forts, while the advance on the Kiangwan area amounts to nothing, apart from ajien country .which the Chinese have c nceded.

The Chinese are being steadily n - •inforced to-day. The Japanese threw their full weight against the Chinese, entrenched behind Hongkew C. s ,1;. and attempted to smash the Chinese resistance with repeated assaults from three sides.

Japanese ’planes appeared over Hr l Chinese lines opening the offensive simultaneously with artillery. There was a three hours’ incessant bombartl,merit which, continued n hen ’planes signalled that the Chinese were retreating. Japanese iniantrv then commenced a drive just at fhe moment when the Chinese reinfor-e----ments appeared and strengthe.ied the faltering lines, which turned t:> meet the Japanese onslaught. CHINESE WAVER. Machine guns rattled on all sides and hand grenades ripped througn the wave of Japanese attackers before a desperate hand-to-hand fight ensued. The Chinese finally wavered and retreated in disorder, but note Chinese poured in from the second defences, rallied the runaways, and are holding the Japanese, advaii.c, The Japanese, however, gain d considerable ground, with the loss of many lives. Additional forces from Chiarg Kai Sliek’s troops replaced the tern hi r depleted ranks of the Nineteenth Army.

Miaohangchen, a village behind Hongkew, was subjected to relentless bombardment throughout the day. Once during the afternoon the Chinese counter-attacked with disas trous results, the Japanese holding their fire until the attackers wer» almost on, top when, murderous machine guns mowed down the ad weeing lines, forcing their retirement HUNGRY CROWS. Despite the heavy tiring Shanghai’s bi-annual visitation of crows is in progress, thousands of hods hovering over the battlefields and s*oouing to the ground during a lull to fatten on the huaidreds of dead soldiers. The situation of the unemployed is daily becoming worse, since Chinese business is practically suspended. Thousands of Chinese are facing staryation.

CHINESE OPTIMISM. (Received 9.10 a m.) SHANGHAI, February 25. There was evidence of the wave of optimism which is sweeping Iho Chinese as a result of the Japanese failure to overcome tin Chinese forces when a thousand coolies attempted to pass through the lines of /the French Concession! for the purpose of joining .lie Chinese army. After a night during which a number of Chinese counter attacks were repulsed, the Japanese in the Kiangwan section with a big body of troops swept into action in a fresh effoi-t to pentrate the Chinese defence lines. The attack was preceded by Japanese aeroplane bombing, backed by an intensive artillery bombardment which failed to make the expected impression on the Chinese who replied fiercely from well-protected dugcuts. APPEAL TO NATIONS. (Received 10.20 a.m.) GENEVA, February 25. Litvinotf, urging tonal disarmament, said that while the League Council was sending appeals to the far-eastern states and delegates t<» the Disarmament Conference were expressing sorrow at the bloodshed, ship-load after ship-load of military supplies for continuation of the bloodshed were being freely and openly sent to the belligerent, states from other countries with the consent of their Governments. The civilisation of the- world would not suffer much if the Far East were only fighting with their bare fists instead of bombs and shells involving thousands of lives and incalculable loss of property.

PROPOSAL REJECTED. (Received 11 a.m.) GENEVA, February 25. The Soviet’s complete universal disarmament proposal was rejected, only Russia and Turkey supporting.