Withdrawal from Sungkiang and Tsingpu: Shorter Line Resting on Minghong: Yet Another Line in Case of Need Fighting continued throughout Saturday and Sunday on the Sungkiang front, Marshal Lu's troops retiring as far as Bridge 19 on the Shanghai hangchow-Ningpo Raily.. Firing was heard on Sunday night in the western district. Dr. Loh, who telephoned to all fronts as soon as the firing was reported, stated that all fronts were quiet except that at Sungkiang.
'Marshal Lu's men also withdrew from' Tsingpu and from several outposts, which Kiangsu filled during the week-end.
Some of the most important divisions of the Kiangsu army are now concentrating at Sungkiang and its environs. General Chen Tiao-yuan's troops which held Kading, General Bei Bao-shan's troops and the Anhui troops, who were released when Chekiang withdrew from Changhsing, are now fighting on the Sungkiang front.
The offensive which took place on Sunday in an effort to drive back Sun Chuan-fang was not part of the general offensive planned at Lunghua with a view 40 the recapture of Sungkiang. That offensive has not yet started.
Marshal Lu's line is now shorter and should be more easily defended.
Marshal' Lu's men effected a tactical retreat from their advanced positions on Friday night and Saturday morning in a major design to fix themselves on a line not open from flank movements by the com-dined Kiangsu and Fukien forces. With the evacuation of Sungkiang. on Thursday, followed by a withdrawal from' Tsingpu on Saturday, Gen, Ho Feng-lin proposes to run his line from Huangtu, which ha: so far proved impregnable, toa point south by east, crossing the Hangchow railway beyond Bridge 19, two and a half miles westwards of Hsinchao, Breaking. sharply to the east and extending to the outskirts of Minghong, the line presents an apex at the railway, which ought to prove a hard nut for the Invaders to crack, even under the pressure of their artillery and combined infantries.
On Friday afternoon the hattis front in this sector was much further advanced toward Sung-Kiang and the infantry lines, where sharp fighting for the east gate took place, were in thin grey out-Hines mot more than four li from Minhsingchao. With the Fukien advance the Lunghua men took train and drew back much closer to Hsinchao, crossing Bridges 22, 21, the outpost of the artillery, and 20, having at their backs Bridge 19. The movement, though not uncon tested, took place, we understand, without serious loss of life, nor were any field pieces lost in the man-
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.