Hankow, Sep 5.
Over 10,000 in a severe some miles from. Shas mutists oh the left bank of the Yangtze firing on her as she passed.
'The RIY-K. steamer Tangyang Maru on the' Chungking service Which arrived here this morning reported that she was fired at by Comiinunists in the neighbourhood of Chihchich, a few miles below Shasi. The vessel carried many Chinese refugees from Shasi, According to a passenger on the Soviet red banners were fying. on both sides of the river and 'a Tong train of foot soldiers and mounted troops was seen moving Along the left bank of the river.
'A later dispatch received to-day states that the Communists have reached a point a few miles from Shasi but no fighting between them and the Government troops has yet occurred. Owing to a better feeling in the city the Japanese residents who took refuge on the: Atami have temporarily returned to their homes. by three separate routes feds" who wore located in the Changsha area, the Government troops, in pursuance of the order for the general attack issued. by General Ho Chien, Chairman of the Hunan Provincial Government, laanhed determined onslaught on the enemy, After a sharp encounter, the enemy resistance was broken up and those who were not killed oF wounded fled in confusion in a south easterly direction towards Huang-peitang and Tangshan, The three route armies of the Government consist of the Lett Wing units under the Hugeh Di sion of General Lo Lin, which has new reached Paimupa and is congentrating ils acti en the Landits onder Pang Teh-baal, north east of Changsha; the central route army made up of the newly organized Sth Division ender General Kung Ping-fan: and the ing Sorces constituting the Hunan 1 under General Chen Kuang-hung, both of whom are in hot pursuit of the Communists under (Chu Teh north of Chuchow, Government airplanes and gum: Moats are actively participating in the drive for the extermination of the outlaws, In the press interview, Mr, Horiuchi, Acting Consul Japan at Shasi who arrived here this morning in order to discuss matters with the Japanese Consul-General, referring to the resent situation in Shasi said:
"Shasi_ is practically enveloped by the Red army, and there is no Knowing when the city will be occupied by the Communists. The attack of the Communist army on Shasi took the populace by great surprise on August 4. Hard fighting took place between 4 pam, and 9 pin. on that day when' the sounds of guns were constantly heard in the city. Gen, Li Yua lung, Commander of the newly organized 3rd division, was slightly wounded in the hand. However, owing to the fighting by. the troops under the direct command of Gen. the Communist army was defeated. The neighbouring towns of Shayang and Chihchich are at the mercy of the Communists with no regular army stationed there."
The official concluded that would be impossible to enjoy poate in Shasi even ten days to come although a Full has prevailed since More Anxiety Over Changsha The gunboat Hsienning has also een despatched to Hunan" from Heinti to assist the Chutai, Yung-then and Weishong, which are no stationed along the Siang near the Hunan Provincial a Kuo Min, Hankow, Sept. 4.
The Japanese gunboat Katada stationed here proceeded to Chang-this. morning in view of the ning situation there.
One of the shells fired by an unidentified tand of Communists Reds Attack Shasi Hankow, Sept. 5. troops hit near the engine room of the Japanese warship Fushimi yes fafterncon while she A message from Shasi dated the 4th states that a panic was caused among tie population there on 'Thursday noon when a band' of Communist troops, some 3,000 strong, made a sudden attack on he town. It appeared, that the Communist soldiers, coming from Tsenhokou, which is four Li from Susi, Teached the suburbs by 4 <'clock in the afternoon, the sounds shooting being clearly audible in cruising down the Yangtze for Kis-Kiang from Hankow, in the neighbourhood of Wuksueh. The damage sustained was, however, very slight, The shell used by the Communist soldiers was a crude handmade one and it had apparently been fired by, a trench mortar from a short dis In connection with the repeated firing by it trae Wohsreh bourho: d, it has now bee
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.