"To the Bulter of the "snow th-CniNa DatLy News."
Sin—The "twenty kilometre road" to Nansiang. speaks mutely of terrific days during the: fighting on the Shanghai front, We. (two American men) were in company with Miss Alice G. Waters, one of the frst. refugees returning to Nansiang on Saturday, hoping to retrieve lier personal and household effects, which she had left behind
ese, occupation, Leaving Shan hen ae ed afore the, Japan: SRowgh the' shellsrand-lire-stricken areas of Paoshan Road and Chapel, our ear swiftly left the sand: bagged. lines, passed isolated machine gun ost and along the ena. way saw the gaping' bom holes. where once had" been the homes of the common people. And then before us were long. stretches fof countryside where the Chinese soldiers had offered. no Teslatance. Slowly we except over a road now deeply cut by heavy tracks, and over hastily "constructed bridges, ftlong the new road from Chenjd fo Nansinng, "This oad ts said ave been thrown up in two days By the country-folk as a mack of appreciation to the 19th Route Army and the heroic defence of the "Chinese forces against the equipment, of the Japanese Twenty-four trucks and cars wrecked along the way remind us that the going sometimes must have been rough, and trucks turned over by bridges indicate that the nights were dark when supplies had to be moved up behind the lines.
'The Japanese flag waved from villages' along the way, and Japa ese outposts were often seen in the distance. Two hundred well-guarded soldiers were repairing the new road. "All of these, including the armed-guards wore red-eross bands on their arms. We passed soldiers proceeding to Nansiang, and a small group Ingging behind carried two country ducks and a. chicken. We were told that the country people have lost most of their ducks and chickens.
Two hours from Shanghai our ear is parked just on the southeastern outskirts of Nansiang. We passed into the city by rows of Japanese cavalry and military cars, Through streets almost as crowded 'a8 before, but now with Japanese soldiers bristling with guns, laden with "army supplies, pushing Japanese carts or riding beautiful Tapanese? horses, of which there seemed hundreds in. and. around Nansiang. 'The 0,000 'Chinese in-Yabitants' had fled almost ax a Body after the Chinese soldiers had withdrawn and on the approach of the Japanese soldiers whose treat, ment "of innocent d ians Shanghai pad _been~ told every Where, "Occasionally an aged Chiese woman or man eautioualy wee seen in many "aged folk, servants, and other Chinese unable to flee are seen to. be wearing small Fapanene. flags (white background and red sun), and similar flags are fon all of" the doors along the streets. They tell us that this was by the strict orders of the Japan: tee soldiers. when they first entered the city. "We questioned these Chinese. along. the. street and everyone testified that the Japanese. soldiers had not harmed thems but they Wore equally tmanimous, in. saying that the. Japanese soldiers had looted practically every. home Nansiang, and. that" they were burning the furniture of the people and even the Moors of the houses for fire-Wood and cooking purposes. Having eveaped any serious fight: ing, as the. front Hines are on yond, Nansiang seems to be pay ting. with the personal. possessions "hotiehold" furniture of the People. (This seems. to. be, verified Bye reper we the US. Consulate wae, nats several places where Gestroyed by Japanese actual bombuses or groups of houses were
ing. "We step" inside "The Old Polke Home" (An-Lau-Yuan), and fee the unit of that home that was destroyed" by a Japanese aerial Bomb on March 2, when four of the old folks were' Killed. outright, and "three wounded, one. of the rounded dying on Saturday the Bay we were there. In this genal Yald one aged woman in the house mat was' bombed was thrown cleat Over the wall of the house and her mangled form. picked up in the pen court of the home.
Walicing on down' the streets, alive with soldiers,. horses, Japan. exe carts, canteens ete,, but dead to Ghinese residents and "business, we note that practically" all the better lass hemen are occupied by Japan-
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.