Peiping, Nov. 10.
Although the city is badly wrecked by bombs and shells, Japanese mill~ tary authorities state that the 26 foreigners at Taiyuanfu. the capital of Shansi, are safe, Besides eight British Baptist missionaries, the foreigners include a number of Catholics of various nationalities, While the Japanese forces from the north were securing Taiyuanfu, the troops which entered Shansi from the east through the Niangtzekwan Pass have been thrusting swiftly into southern Shansi.
The captured of Chihsien. 40 miles south of Taiyuanfu, was announced this morning, while a Japanese cavalry squadron claims to have reached Pingyao, 15 miles beyond Chihsien, Tribute to Defenders "I admire the Chinese soldiers who defended Taiyuanfu. Nowhere else in North China have the Chinese fought so obstinately."
In these words a Japanese spokesman here to-day paid tribute to the gallant stand made by the Chinese garrison in the Shansi capital, which consisted of an unknown number of troops of the 73rd and. 84tk': Shansi divisions, The garrison fought to the last man in desperate hand-to-hand clashes which raged throughout the city. The end came after Japanese sappers blew up the north gate to admit fresh troops, which overwhelmed the Chinese resistance.
Indicating that the Japanese strength in Shansi was disproportion ately small compared with the Chinese, a Japanese spokesman said he believed the campaign showed the superiority of mechanized equipment. Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.