Shanghai Dec. 24.
Forelen residents In Hangchow wore asked yesterday by the Japanese Army command to. withdraw from the aren soon to become another Sino-Japanese battlefield, The warning, an Army communtoue anid, was Issied through diplomatic channels in China as well as through the foreman envoys in Tokyo.
"At noon yesterday, the Full detach-mont, advancing unau the West Lake City lon the Shanchal-Hanachow Raflway. was within fourteen miles of Driving from the northwestern direction, the Tanizawa, Fukui and Tsuda unite had meanwhile reached point elhteen miles from Han chow, after breaking through Chinese Sefence lines ut Shansvochen, Stil another column, comprising the Kozakal, Nozoye, Futivama and Kataoka unns, had completed yester-@ay the occupation of Yuhang and Teached a point twenty miles southwest of Hangchow. chines Hankow, Dec. 26, 'The fall of, Hangchow' Is virtually ndmilted in Chinese reports received ere to-day, which state that the main ady of the Chinese defenders with-Arew from the city on the night' of December 2%. The last train from Hangchow, the reports ridd, lett the eily on the morning of December 24. Tt was packed with refugees.
he lakeside city, Chinese sources slate, is a picture of desolation at present, The sicel bridge across the Chientane River. they say. has been dynamited: all the streets in the city fare barricaded. while canoes, which fare usually filled with tourists sight-seeing tours around the lake, fare at present tied up, with no care takers in scores of them.—Reuter, Shanghai, Dec. 28.
According to Japanese reports available in Hankow the city was entered on Sunday, says Trans-Ocean. The Japanese first attacked the Chinese lines near Chienchow, Kungsen chow and Zahkou, infantry, artillery, tanks and the alr force engaging in the offensive, Evidently applying the. new tactics. which have been decided upon since the fall of Nanking, the Chinese troops did not engage in costly hand hand fighting ut retreated in good order after having held up the Japanese advance as long as possible. It Is believed in Chinese circles here that the Chinese casualties were comparatively slight, although accurate estimates are not yet available. Inthe course of their retreat the Chinese destroyed the large bridge over the Chientang so that the Japan ese could not follow them, and all Japanese attempts to cross the river have so far been prevented through heavy machine-gun fire, according to Chinese reports.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.