Chinese Irregulars Harass Japanese Forces, Ohinese Report Taking of Pailingmiao*
Hankow, Jan. 12.
in-chief of the Chinese forees General Yen Hsi-Shan, commander-in [Charhar, Suiyuan and Shansi, nounces' that the Japanese troops have so far occupied 12 of the 105 districts of the province of Shansi. The Japanese, he states, merely hold 'a narrow strip of territory on the Tatung and Taiyuan-Chihehia chwang railway lines, The hills on both sides. of the railways on the other hand fare being held by a number Chinese regular divisions and some 90,000 volunteer Irregulars, who are constantly harassing the Japanese by surprise raids on Japanese rearward communications.
General Yen Hsi-Shan stressed that the Chinese Intend to restrict their operations.in, Shansi to' guerilla actions which have so far been extremely successful and effective, Jan, 13.
On the Shansi front and along the Peiping-Hankow railway, fighting has been resumed following a Japanese concentration of over 20,000 men in the towns of Shuanteh, Hantang and Tzeshien, situated on the railway, for fan attack eastward in order to establish a connection between the Japanese. lines on the Pelping-Hankow railway and in eastern Shansi. The attack is being supported by a column advancing on Shansi along the branch line of the Pelping-Hankow railway running from Shichia-[chwang to Talyuantu.
While up to the present time, the Japanese troops have operated only along the railway lines, they are now attempting to occupy also the hinterland in order to drive Chinese volun-[teers from their hiding places. The spanese advance in Shans! province is mainly directed against the holy mountain of Wu Tal-shan, one of the five Buddhist places of pilgrimage in China, the cleft massif of which considered a base for Chinese volunteers, 'The Chinese, however, be-Itieve' that these volunteers will be ible to check the Japanese move against them.
Remarkable successes of Chinese guerilla bands are reported from the south of Hopel, where a number of towns are said to have been freed from Japanese occupation—Trans-'Ocean.
Linfen, Jan. 16.
The Chinese defence force at Tung-mo chih, Lakiapo and Yaotzutow, near Techungehen, fifty miles south of Taiyuan, the Shans! provincial capital, repulsed a strong Japanese attack, a message from the front stated. The Chinese positions remain intact, "An unsuccessful attack was also launched by the Japanese on a Chinese cavalry regiment at Pinglu, northern Shanei. The Japanese were forced to withdraw as a result of a flanking move. ment of the Chinese—Kuo Min, Hankow, Jan. 14, Outer Mongolian troops have oc~ cupied Pallingmino, important city in north Charhar and seat of Prince Teh''s Inner Mongolian "Autonomous, Government, according to Chinese reports to-day from Lanchow, Kansu province, and also from Linfeng, the present capital of Shansi province.
As a result of the active participa tion of Outer Mongolian troops in the present campaign in Chathar, the Japanese are reported to be rushing reinforcements In order to prevent, these troops harassing the rear of the Japanese forces operating.on the Suiyuan and Shansi "fronts—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.