Nanking, Sept. 6.
The opening of the Japanese general offensive on the Tientsin-Pukow line, momentarily expected since the arrival of the Tenth and Fourteenth Divisions, began last Saturday, a
state late despatch received here to-day Braving continuous heavy rains, the Japanese forces, assisted by enol and artillery bombardment, attacked the Chinese positions ai Tangkwantun, Tzeyachen and Huifengchiao on the Tientsin-Pukow line on September 4
Chinese defenders put up a stubborn resistance against the enemy's superior mechanical weapons, Especially bloody was the battle around Tangkwantun, which changed hands last two da: cee ro less than four times
slong the entire front, with the Che Heavy fighting is now proceedi
nese firmly holding their positions.
Both the Chinese -and Japanese dost heavily in man power during the two days' fighting. The casualties of the Chinese side are reported—Central News, ip cies to be over 1,000 killed and we
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.