That the Japanese are now bidding for the Lotien-Kating highway is very evident from their concentrated attack on the sector from Ssu-siang-kung-miao northward to Tsao-wang-miao, according to a Chinese military spokesman. at yesterday's press conference.
Not contented with the heavy bombardment of the previous day, Japanese artillery threw literally thousands of shells all along this sector from morning to evening. Later m the day Japanese infantry attacked in mass. In spite of the severity of the assaults and the persistence of the enemy, the Chinese line remains unbroken, according to the spokesman.
Chinese troops defending Ssu-siang-kung-miao, about 2,000 metres to the west of Lotien, are putting up a very stubborn resistance and have effectively checked the repeated Japanese. attempts to break through the line, -The Lotien-Kating highway runs from east to west, and its fail to the Japanese would constitute à great menace to the present Chinese positions to the west of the Lotien-Liuhang highway, which runs from north to south and which was given up by the Chinese on Sunday merning.
Chinese circles admitted that Chinese troops about 1,000 metres tu the west of the Lotien-Liuhang highway were not to make a definite stand, but would remain there to continue to harass the Japanese until the Jutter had wasted enough ammunition and High praise was bestowed yesterday by the Japanese military authorities on a young Chinese officer, who, refusing to beat retreat with his unit, courageously met death.
Hard pressed by the Japanese, Chinese troops in the village of Yangchiatsun, on the Lotien front, began to retreat The officer, however, refused to abandon his position. Armed with a hand-grenade, he launched a one-man attack on the advancing Japanese soldiers, Before he hat time to throw his death-dealing missile, he was shot dead. Impressed by his valour, a Japanese officer yesterday told newspapermen here, the Japanese soldiers buried him with the honour due to the courageous.
On the officer's body were found documents identifying him as Captain Kiang Yun, Commander of the Fourth Company of the 40lst Regiment of the Sixty-Seventh Division.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.