Hankow, Sept. 4.
With the smoking ruins in Changsha hardly cleared, and while the terrible massacres are still fresh in. the memory of inhabitants, the Communist-bandits under Peng Teh-ities lander Chu Teh, until recently otcupying the region north of Chuchow, have fled to Pinghsiang, along the Hunan-Kiangsi border; andthe Commanists under Pang Teh-huai, stationed north-east of Changsha, fare retreating in the direction of Livyang, eastern Hunan.
According to an official telegram from General Ho Chien, Chairman of the Hunan Provincial Govern. ment, the Government units under General Chen Kuang-chung are now in occupation of Tatupa, south of Changsha, while General Lo Li Mupeh Division has passed Shih-maru. Both forces are in hot pur-cult of the bandits.—Kuo Min.
Heavy Defeat Reported:
Hankow, Sept. 8.
According to a message fr Changsha dated the 7th, the aten: pt lof a part of the Communist troops, under the leadership of. Huang Kung-inch, to recapture Changsha, which was made on Saturday night lended in failure due to the stubber resistance of the—Government troops.
Another Communist band, which]
apparently under the command of Chu Teh, is reported by the same message to have attempted to cross the river at Yichiawan with a view to occupying Siangtan on the came night, but this move too was} Jcheeked by the Government troops, who repulsed the Communist troops, Excepting these two instances of Jopen clashes, the military situation in Changsha area has shown no} fresh development in the Fast few days, the report adds.
The situation in Changsha itself is described of as very quiet, though various wild rumours sti persist among. the citizens. example, a rumour has" been _citculated to the effect that Yochow fras been captured by the Communists'although the rumours has been contradicted after inquiry by the] authorities, who found cut that the! telegraphic connections—between Hankow and Yochow were being maintained as usual.
In the past few days, there has icon reported frequently that the Keangst troop have ye ent entered, ints able quarters believe it to be tu6 since unconfirmed reports to their hands intimate that General Feng Tien-chu, commanding 3,000 soldiers, has already reached Yungchow, while another Kuangsi_ miiterist General Tang Sheng-min} commands ing 4,000 soldiers, has occupied Chiyang—Rengo, "Gen." Chu Teh Reported Killed The "Red" armies which occupied Changsha, recently have been badly, defeated by government troops in Hunan and they have lost "General" Eh" Teh, one of thei four notan yas Teaders, as a result, says the Chinese pr Chu, together with Pang ety hus, "Mao Tee-tung and Huang Hoong-liso, commanded more than 40,000 Communist-bandits who, during.the past three years, have footed numerous towns anid cities in Hunan, Kigngsi, Fokien and Kuangsi Pro: vinees and wrought havoc among the people. He took an active part in the recent capture of Changsha and insisted on personally directing itary operations at the front, it is reported.
On the afternoon of August 3, tha Communist army, having besieged Changsha for six days and six nights, met a decisive defeat at the hands "of Government troops and retreated in disorder in the direes tion of Pingkiang and Livyang, Prior to the retreat, however, they, launched a series of furious often Sives against the Hunan troops with the intention of breaking through the Government lines. The result was that heavy fighting: again broke out in the vicinity of Changsha.
At about 3 pam, on August 9, the Chinese press reports, part of the Independent ith Brigade under BrigadienGeneral Chen Kuang engaged more than 1,000 a place known as Linchia-After severe fighting, which lasted for some time, the "Reds'™ retreated in confusion and lete hundreds of dead behind.
Among the latter, the loyal cops later found the body of a mari with thick moustache who was to have looked very much like Teh, According to the Commune ist-bandits who were taken prisoner, Cha personally directed operations ere that day and it was quite ly that he met his death in the fighting because he was constantly, going into the most dangerous place The report that the notorious Cha.
ras killed was farther strengthened by other reports, one being to the effect that, while fighting was going on at Linchiachuai, more than 1,000 "Reis" who apparently were de moralized but not defeated, suddenly deserted their positions and retreat ed. This no doubt was due to the report that their commander had been killed, Another report says that, on the following day (August 4), a number of villagers who fled from the places through which the defeated "Reds"", passed in their retreat, ive formed the government. troops that, when the "Reds" passed through their villages, all wore black arm. bands as if in mourning. The wearing of such black arn bands wes construed by Honan officials as con firming the death of Chu Teh, the Chinese Press concludes.
Cha Teh, who was said to have received his military education in Germany, was one of the meet notorious "Red" leaders in China and his death, if true, will be a dis tinct blow to the Communist move. ment in this country. For several years past, he has terrorized the People of the places through which hho and his men have passed. With a band of 400 o 500, he started out from northern Kuangtung and, in his march, he covered several thou-Jsand miles, which included Pukien, Kinngsi, Hunan and Kuangsi, and gathered together a force of nearly 20,000 men, mostly peasants, tu And defeated troops.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.