Gen. Kuo Opens Offensive with a Charge Which is Reported fo Have Captured Hsinminfu: Marshal Chang Retreating on Chuliuho Mukden, Dee. 21.
General Kuo Sung-ling's troops, which charged in the vicinity of Hsinminfu station, completely captured Hsin-min fu at 10.20 this morning after repelling Marshal Chang's forces.
Those of General Kuo's troops, which have captured Hsinminfu, consist of the 40th, 4ist and 57th Regiments as well as of three battalions of the 5th Regiment, armed with 16 machine guns and 8 big-guns.
All the shops in Hsinminfu are closed and General Kuo's troops are urging Chinese merchants to reopen their shops at once.
The popular mind there gradually assuming composure, General Kuo!s troops, which entered Hsinminfu this morning, are in perfect order, showing no signs of creating any disturbance, In the course of their battle with Marshal Chang's forces, rifle bullets fell near the Japanese Consulate at Hsinminfu, but no Japanese citizens were killed or wounded.
Both the Chinese officials and citizens there have sent their respective representatives ito pay respects to the victorious General Kuo's troops. All over that town, flags have been put out to express congratulations on Gen. Kuo: victory.
Dec. 20.
A detachment of General Kuo's troops this morning charged Marshal Chang's artillery position the district north of Hsinminfu with the consequence that Marshal Chang's troops have been defeated. As General Kuo's troops have begun to take the offensive, Marshal Chang's forces.on the whole line of battle have now retreated as far back as their position in the sector of Chuliuho.
It appears that General, Kuo's main force is about to break through the front position of Marshal Chang's troops. The battle situation is undergoing a rapid development.
Tokyo, Dec. 21.
During to-day's Budget discussions Baron Shidehara, Minister for Foreign Affairs, replying to a question by Baron Sakatani, said that a consular report from Manchuli indicated that Soviet troops had not been yet sent to North Manchuria and though the Soviet's future attitude wan not known it was considered unlikely that it would send any troops there.—Reuter's Pacific Service.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.