Hankow Confused About Large. Concentration of Government Forces: Yen Hsi-shan on Tour of Inspection Hankow, Dec. 31. this area, ® good deal of doubt and According to reports circulated in
confusion scoms: to exist as to the actual position on the. Kin-Han front and in Honan generally.
During the latter "part of last' week, reports were current to the effect that Hsuchow had been captured by troops from this area. But from all that ean.be gathered from Military Headquarters, it was. not these units, but those under the generalship of Hsu Yuan-chien and Han Fu-chu that were responsible. Apparently the Wuhan area troops. have not advanced further that However, despite the snowstorm and unfavourable weather—conditions in general, reports are to ang that fighting has continued on the Kin-Han during the last few days, 'This fighting led up to wensral battle' when on Sunday, near the town of Chosan about 5,000 of the rebels endeavoured to cut through the Government line. Fighting lasted for over five hours, but neither side apparently gained munch, the Government troops fight ing purely on the defensive.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.