With more than 400000 Chinese troops reportedly concentrated on the front, a major battle was expected by. military authorities here to precede the fall of Hsuchow, the most. important point in the Chinese defence line.
Japanese military circles here believed the occupation of the Kiangsu and Anhwei provinces would deal a very serious blow to the prestige of the National Government.—Domei.
"In order to afford the Nationalist Government its last chance to res consider its attitude", the statement said, "ihe Imperial Government has waited since the fall of Nanking until to-day.
"However, the Nationalist Government has failed to appreciate this Government's true motives and made reckless plans for a continued resistance.
"In doing so, it utterly disregarded the indescribable misery of its own countrymen and never stopped to consider the peace of the entire Far East."
Japan's responsibility in connection. with the maintenance of peace inthe" Orient the declaration said, is now "great and heavy," and "it is the Government's earnest desire that the people will exert still greater efforts to fulfil this grave responsibility."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.