CHINESE ADVANCE ON CANTON

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVI, Issue 21324, 19 April 1939, Page 7

CHINESE ADVANCE ON CANTON

POWERFUL DRIVE CONTINUES

Pressure on Extended Battle Front

Invaders In Desperate Struggle

Criticism of Assistance from Foreigners

United Press Association-By Electric Telegraph—Copyrlgh' LONDON, April 17. The battle for Canton overshadows all other operations throughout China, states the Hong Kong correspondent of •'The Daily Telegraph.” The Chinese offensive, which is unprecedentedly well sustained, is irresistibly recovering the outer environments, which the Japanese have held since October.

The defenders are hurling lorries full of troops and all the available mechanised units to the outskirts in order to reinforce the stricken fighters, but these are apparently counter-matched by fresh and eager divisions which are steadily reinforcing the Chinese Com-mander-in-Chief, General Chang Fakwei, who is forging a passage to Canton in the hope of encircling the city, from which he is eighteen miles distant. He is supported by subsidiary columns which are repelling the Japanese to the last defences.

The Chinese claim that one column is twelve miles from Canton. Another unit, coming from the north, covered sixteen miles in forty-eight hours and is now within nineteen miles of Canton.

JAPANESE CLAIM A SUCCESS KULING OCCUPIED United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright (Received Ajrll 18, 10.55 p.m.) SHANGHAI, April 18. The Japanese claim to have occupied Ruling. FOREIGN ASSISTANCE DEPLORED RESPONSIBLE FOR RESISTANCE United Press Association—B« Electric Telegraph—Qppyrlgbt TOKIO, April 17. The Japanese War Minister (Lieu-tenant-General Seishiro Itagaki), in a statement, said that assistance from foreign Powers is solely responsible for General Chang Kai-Shek’s stubborn resistance.

"Japan does not intend to deliberately sever diplomatic relations,” he said. "Commanders have ordered the troops to do their utmost to protect foreign lives and property, even to the sacrifice of strategic advantages, but the soldiers deplore the concrete evidence of foreign assistance to the Chinese."