Peking, Jan, 11.
The defence of Peking will be handed love by' Marshal, "Chang [Charhar Provincial Chaitiaan, effect isveh-liang to Gen, Sung Che-yuan,
ing a startling change on the mi tary. map. off North China, itis Predicted' in Japanese circles here "Hlaving dispatched the nmjority of his own troops 20 the north, Marshal Ghang now has only one. brigade of his own army in the Peking area, Which is insufficient to protect the old capital. Gen. Sung Che-yuan is ow moving 10,000 troops to' Peking From Suanhwa, and be has also dispatched 4,000 men to the first de-{ence line near Chigmenkowced Press.
"Challenge" to Japan Tokyo, Jan, 1.
Chinese troops are plainly chal-longing the Japanese Army in Jehol day after day, te War Ministry declared to-day. The first line of the 30th Brigade near Lingyuan has advanced to Tachengtze and Yangpeshou and strong positions are established at strategic points between Shanhaikuan "and hang by the Chinese, it was said. More defence work is. being erected along the line connecting Pingtsuan, Hsifangkow and-Lwang-Despite the report that direct negotiation has been started be: tween representatives of the Japanese and Chinese in connection with the Shanhaikuan incident, no official report to-that effect had been received by. the War Ministry. 'According' to a War Ofice spokesman," Eleutenant General" Nakamura, Japanese garrison commander At Tientsin, was authorised to negotiate the' settlement but rething has been done to date.
It is reported, however, that Gen. Ho Chuckus, commander tthe Chinese garrison at Shanh Kuan, proposed through Admiral Kelly, "the British Commander-in-Chiet'a few days ago, that he interview" Major Miura, -a star officer of the Kwantung " Garrison,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.