Following upon their great victory at Huahsien and Lianglunghu, la the North River region, the Government forces launched a furious] drive against the rebels along the entire front in the North River region yesterday.
The Kuang ions under Generals Chi ting and Teal Ting-kai are rounding up the defeated "Tronsides" in the direction of Tsingyuan with the Kuangsi rebels fleeing for Srewui between] the North and West Rivers.
Tt is estimated that in addition to about 7000 "Ironsides" killed and] wounded in action, at least 5,000] Kuangsi rebels were also killed.
'A large number of prisoners and rifles have been captured. It is now generally considered that the cisive battle of the campaign over.
The "Ironsides" in Retreat Dee. 14.
Little fighting took place in the North River region yesterday. The Government forces are Keeping up the pursuit of the rebels ina northerly direction. The "Ironsides" nder Chang Fa-kuei made an. Ott mpt at a surprise attack from Tatong yesterday, but were almost immediately repulsed by the Kuang tung troops.
The right wing forces of the insurgents, comprising the Kuangst troops, under "Yang Tone-hoi, retreated to Tringyaan and Shibkoo tapen learning of Chang. Fa-koel's Collapse, and the Government forces Secapied Yentsienyu yesterday. No Sighting has occurred in this sector Goring the past twenty-four hours.
The collopes of the insurgents attributed largely to. hostile public opinion throughout the province of Kuangtung against the "notorious Comministie tendencies of Chang Fakuel and his troops. Lack of ammunition and disagreement. between Chang Fa-kuei and the Koangsi rebel leaders as well as ithe superiority of the Government forces also proved disastrous to the Led Into Trap Dee. 15.
General Chen Chi-tang, Commander of the 8th Route Army, re-ferned yesterday from the North River front where he had been! directing operations against the Sfronsides" under Chang Fa-kuei.
In a brief account of his encounter. with the "Ironsides," General Chen said that the success of the Government forces in the North River region was due mainly to the fact that the rebels were led ito a trap Inid for them in the Huabsien sector. The Government forces, according to General Chen, had been instructed to stage a fake retreat at the approach of the rebels, who were then surrounded on all sides by other Government units ambush, The rebels, suddenly ing themselves cut off from any connection with the Kuangsi rebels Seewui, tried t6 withdraw but were subjected to a terrific bom? Dardment by the Government alr-nes.
In the opinion of General "Chen, with the routing of the rebels in the North River region, the suppression of those in the West River Tegion is an easy task and the campaign will be concluded shortly.
Request for Foreign Evacuation Deg. 16. the defeat of the rebels in the North River region, the Govern-mint forees are now turning their attention to the suppression of the insurgents in West River the region and in General Kuangsi, Chen Chi-tang, Commander of the 8th Route Army, will again. direct the offensive.
'A blockade of the West River! will shortly be declared, to help the rounding up of the rebels. Arrangements are also being made! by the Canton Commissioner of Foreign Adairs with the British, Japanese, Portuguese and French Consuls for the evacuation of the entire West River region by their respective nationals, so that the Government troops may proceed. unhampered with the campaign for the extermination of the rebels.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.