MANCHURIAN SITUATION

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 72, Issue 198, 21 August 1929, Page 7

MANCHURIAN SITUATION

HEAVY FIGHTING REPORTED. XUE POSITION MORE SERIOUS. (Australian Press Assn.) Received August 20, 11 p.m. HONG KONG, Aug. 20. Special Chinese reports from Harbin state that fighting on a hitherto unprecedented scale is taking place between Russian and Chinese troops at the border town of Chalanor. Soviet forces took the offensive and heavy fighting continued for some hours. The Chinese were outnumbered and retired to their trenches ,fierce battling taking place and both sides employing heavy artillery.

According to Chinese reports the battle for Tungninhsien started on August 18 at dawn and continued till yesterday afternoon. A determined drive by the Soviet forces in an endeavour to surround the Manchuli garrison resulted in the big gest clash in the present series of frontier skirmishes yesterday. Soviet troops are reported to have suffered several hundred killed, wounded and taken prisoner, A military conference, which will be called by Marshal Chang Such Liang shortly, is expected to produce direct measures to counteract Soviet aggression and fighting on a large scale can big expected. The present situation in Manchuria is clouded with uncertainty. The heavy firing of field guns and machineguns is continually heard on the border, though the nature of the engagement has not been ascertained. A number of shells are falling in the city, injuring civilians. Mukden reports state that Soviet troops looted and burned two Chinese villages north of Karan. Observers who have recently returned from an inspection of the frontier express the belief that the Soviet will refrain from an official declaration of war but will connive at belligerent activities in increasing proportions until the Manchurian authorities are frightened into submission for a settlement of the railway dispute.