According to a despatch dated the 4th from Hsuchowfu to General Chang Tze-kiang. personal represen. tative of Marshal Feng Vu-hsiang, who is now in Shanghai, the North= western forces under General Sun two contending armies are now Jengaged in severe fighting. General Chang Chung-chang, Tupan of Shantuns, is personally commanding the Chihli-Shantung troops in the Jdefence of Hsuchowfu, which foarely held by them against Feng's troops, As the telegraphic service between] Peking and Hsuchowfu has been interrupted, the communication with that city is maintained by wireless.
seams that the mil itua tion in the region of Tsining Jeoming favourable for the Chihli-Shantung forces as a result of reinforcements by General Sun Chuanfang's men—Toho.
Chang Chung-chang's Claim to Have}
Driven Back Feng Peking, Dee. 8
Foreign messages from Tsinanful received here to-day state that the Shantung armies, personally _commanded by Marshal Chang Chung-chang, are still holding Hsuchowfu despite the repeated attacks of the Nationalist troops and the Kuo-
Liang-zung captured Hsuchowfu on December 3. With the fall of the city, scores of train-loads of ammunition were left behind and about 100 higher rank officers of the enemy. forees were taken as captives. Chang Chung-chang himself just) managed to escape.
The city fell once into the-hands of the Nationalists about ten days. the messages add, when all Marshal Sun Chuan-fang's forees and the Chihli troops were withdrawn and sent to Lincheng and 1 respectively, for the purpose of meeting the Kuominchun Attacks on these places, With only the Shantung forces holding Hsu chow fu, the Nationalist armies almost captured: the city, but their Racks were driven off after des-
Pert is stated that these withdrawals]
te fighting.
from Hsuchowfu ate preliminary to Marshal Sun' Chusn-fang supplanting Marshal Chang Csung-chang as Tupen of Shantung if the latter fails to hold Hsuchowfu, is officially announced that Marshal Chang Chung-chang claims that the Kuominchun are now 30 (fen miley) to. the west of Hsu-
Weakness of Southern Forces Peking, Dee.
Generally speaking the war situ tion in the south is unfavourable to the Shantung armies at the present moment, but judging from various reports reaching here, the Southern forees, which are advancing north wards from the district of Haichow and the Tientsin-Pukow Railway region, are not large in number, and appears not likely that these Southerners will make a serious attack on the Northerners very soon. The Chihli-Shantung comined forces at Hsuchowfu, with the id of General Sun Chuan-fang's wwerfal troops, fought severe bat-les on the 4th and 5th against General Feng Yuchsiang's forces which made an onslaught on that city from the direction of the Lung-Hai Railway region, It appears; that General Chang' Chung-chang, Tupan of Shantung, is still at Hsuchow fu personally commanding the Chihli-Shantung forces.
As the situation in the region of} Tsining is threatening, the 2nd] that region as reinforcements Gen, Sun's Diversion A report received by the Generalissimo's office claims that the situation in the region of Hsuchowfu is turning favourably to the Northerners as a result of a diversion created by General Sun's troops which went round the right} wing of General Feng's forces.
The report of the fall of Hsuchow fa has not been confirmed Toho,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.