Hankow, Dec. 27.
'With Japanese troops' from_ the Yellow River astride the Kiaotsi Railway at Changtien, 65 miles east Tsinan, "the position of both the Provincial capital and Tsingtao Jadmitted in Chinese quarters here to be critical.", Chinese forces are taking up posi-tons at Weihsien in an attempt to Jcheck the advance of the Japanese towards Tsingtao, while the Chinese troops defending Tsinan are resisting a Japanese thrust westward—Reuter ypanese Navy Off Shantung Tsingtao, Dee. 26.
Naval activities by the Japanese fleet are reported off the Tsingtao coast, presaging, it Is believed, large /scale' invasion of this resort city by the Japanese navy and army forces.
Japanese warships, accord ing to reports received here, have deen sighted off Puchia Island and the Lingshanwel coast in the vicinity of Tsingtao.
As a precautionary mstsure, Chic nese defence forces at the two places have been given instructions to check
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.