t Started Yet Reports After the statement on the capture of Chochow last night, Japanese military authorities have issued a communique which says that the Japanese Unit which crossed the Chuma River has cut the Peiping-Hankow Railway to the south of Chochow. s. Hsin Peking When the s. Hsin Peking arrived alongside the French Bund early yesterday afternoon from Ningpo, she brought with her the news that while no boom across the Ningpo River has actually been started yet, there is considerable talk in progress regarding its construction. The s. Hsin Peking was in Ningpo on Thursday and brought back to Shanghai several foreign passengers only and some cargo.
The fear of Japanese warships going up the Ningpo River to shell Ningpo is the cause for discussion of a boom to block the river. The boom would be placed either at the mouth of the river which is about 21 miles from Ningpo or at Chinghai, some fifteen miles from Ningpo where the river is narrow. It has been pointed Out that there are the Chinghai forts Which should be able to cope with Japanese warships if the forts have been modernized as reported.
The Chinese rear-guards are resisting stubbornly on important points, including Pochow, on the highway from Tientsin to Paotingfu and immediately south of Tangshan, where the territory is very rugged.
The Japanese infantry and artillery, the statement declares, were engaged during the morning in this sector and captured Hsiloutsun, five kilometres south of Tangshan. 4
Japanese military officials also claim to have captured, Hunyuan, the most important centre in North Shansi, on the Hopei-Charhar border. Meanwhile, Paotingfu has again been bombed.—Reuter.
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