On Saturday the invaders at the over to Hsiao Pa and on Sunday they began their attack on the Kuominchun first line of- defence at Liuho, the next station on west again. All day Sunday the fight went on and the sound of a Heavy gun could be heard here from time to time during the morning. At noon it was reported that the attackers were only eight li from Liuho and then night that they had reached there but the Shensi men were still hold-1 on. Then at about eight o'- clock the warm day closed with a terrific whirlwind of dust from the north and a hard north wind set in.
From reports it would seem the defending Shensi men-tried to make counter-attack under wind and dust and there was some desperate fighting in the dim moonlight. There was no sham fighting about all this and the casualties have been heavy on this side as evidenced by the demand for coffins, several cartloads "of which were taken out to the station this afternoon for officer dead.
It ig reported that several hundred have been ordered and unless the private soldiers are going to be supplied with them also, which would not be usual, there must have been quite a slaughter at Liuho. No doubt the Shensi casualties were as great or greater for they have had to give up their Liuho position and retire to the next line of defence at Lanfeng, only 90 li this side of Kaifeng, and it is probable that there will be quite a battle fought there before the Kuominchun will be willing to retire further and lof Kaifeng its newly enlarged arsenal fall into the hands of Wu Pei-fu. The several scores of Russians there probably have their trunks packed by this time though. troops are forming the left wing of the forces advancing on Kai: feng, going along the old main road which leads through Ningling, Sueichow, Chithsien and into Kaifeng. The last we heard of the Kuomin Shensi men they were. west of Sueichow still retreating; Hsien is the next stop and that 120 i from Kaifeng.
There has been the usual reign of terror here from the press gangs of course. Two thousand men were demanded and from the streets, houses and -country, unfortunates have been grabbed and forced into service to become carriers. All who can go into hiding naturally do so, but still the army must be served and wars must be waged "for the good of the people" and "foreed by the' will of the people." Great are the people long-suffering indeed.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.