'Two Months' Bombardments and Still No Sign of the End but the Sphere of Fighting Widens: A Seven Days'
Journey Through the Battlefields From Our Ows of what the Republic has brought ons, "between. th nil bp paraleed by, going fe evening of another.
But where is the sense dynasty, and the the itary Sanyuan, Shensi, June 26, The spheres of warfare in Shensi fnerease; cannon continue to boom along the north bank of the river Wei. Pucheng is being attacked by the Allies as the city is now held by a regiment which has gone over to the Shensi cause, General Kou Chien-pao refused to respond to tne appeal of his men not to fight against, the Shensi troops, with the result that he was shot by his Major General nnd the whole regiment changed sides. Taihotsun has been the scene of two stiff engagements during the week and there have been many casualties. The garrison in this village, belonging to the eastern army, and which hus been surround-4 by the Shensi troops has been able to get in fresh supplies of grain, 'Two Months' Bombardment The siege of Sianfu continues; it, is 44 days since last we heard how our friends there were faring, and much anxiety prevails on behalf of the civil population within the city walls, Tt is anid that several hundreds of the people escaped last week when a sortie was made from the south gate by a section of the garrison. The bombardment has! Doon mare or less continuous for over two months, but it Is said that General Lin hag mercifully refrained from throwing in his large shells.
T made an attempt last week to! get through to the city gate, in the ehildcen of ougrriiasion away from hone of. getting the "women and Sian, But atter getting to within lires miles of the city I was refused permission to make further progress. General Lin, himself, undertook to have my letters delivered at the first opportunity, but he would not allow a foreigner to approach, Seven Days Journey for Two The journey to and from Sian can be done usually in two short days travel; on this occasion took me seven long hard days in the scorching heat. The journey, was made around or through the ies of many hostile armies north of the river. The start was made in the teeth of united Chinese advice, but fortunately ended without. mishap, We had to travel throug! Geserted areas, desolated areas through ruined villages, past others whose gates were closed against any approach. Pickets gave surprises, robbers had to be avoided. We vested amidst deserted ruins and Sometimes not even water could be found for the mule.
Some soldiers were insolent, I was refused exit from a certain city and the Chinese who accompanied me was forbidden to sit by me, One city had a guard of four soldiers at the gate and although all four rifles with bayonets fixed and dressed in every detail, I grievously wronged one, because I addressed my inquiry to another. In one small country place, where the only resting place I could find, was behind the counter of a little shop, an alarmed -was raised. I was waked from my sleep by eries of men on the street. I immediate ly got up concluding that robbers re going to pay me the next call, but it finally turned out, that one of the many men sleeping out of doors, had raised the cry of wolf, but whether a real or imaginary one I cannot tell. At this same place, a would-be robber, left his unloaded rifle and ran, when he found that the man he assailed was blessed with more courage than himself.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.