The civilian population of the city were the innocent victims of the siege and over 300 have been killed. The town will take a year to recover from the effect of the siege-—homes have been demolished by shock and fire exacted a heavy toll.
Outside in the Ankuochun trench: es northern troops are entertaining Shansi soldier visitors and guiding them to dugouts for food. Drummers beat their drums. where fas a fortnight ago the area wi one of silence other than the noise of wat. Inside the city and on the wall Shansi men cheerfully lend Ankuochun soldiers by the hand and showed them how they had defended the city. It is strange for the Occ dental to interpret this spirit—but Chinese troops, like other soldiers, appreciate a brave foe. All troops regret that Chinese are obliged to continue the hardship of civil war.
The Chochow position will go down in Chinese "history as the Verdun or Ypres of Asia—it was practically impregnable to attack without sanguinary losses. If the Ankuochun troops had successfully held the wall during a night attack those who had gained the position would have been "mopped up" by withering fire from "pill-box" ba ricades that covered all corners of the wall which With a compete: been slowly bit successfully demolished.
The Shansi men are now clearing dugouts and depots of ammunition and preparing "to leave. The dead beneath the wall have been interred by soldier burial parties. It has been a sad sight. However, to-day the reburial of the Shansi_ men from common company graves was pathetic. Constant bombardment and the the ties where they fell in a common grave. Today the men in preparation to depart from Chochow for reorganization into the An-Kuochun "opened the community graves and dragged the dead forth by the fect or head. It was a gruesome sight, Identification was hopeless as comrades. sought pals and the only name tag was the usual cloth identification tabs affixed to a tunic. Ropes tied to foot usually brought forth a di membered limb. As night ay proached the burial" parties hue ried their work and the sight from the top of the wall was one of men. pulling sand bags but closer: observation showed the bags were human forms. Where identifica tion was possible soldier friends Tighted small fires of paper as a. Right to guide a sool to eternal rest.
The civilian population went to earth for three months in rabbit dugouts. Those who were killed were buried in courtyards. Now these dead are being hurriedly exhumed for burial. outside. the! city.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.