Shanghai," Aug. 20, Reports of the arrival of Japanese Army units here were denied yestermorning by a spokesman of the Japanese Consulate-General. Japanese forces in Shanghai, he explained, consist solely of naval units. No troops, ho added, have been landed Pootung.
Japanese casualties by noon on. August 17, the spokesman said, numbered "under 30° officers and men killed and "about 60" wounded.
'The official admitted that on the night of August 17 the Japanese forces in the eastern area were in a aimeult position, partly because of the withdrawal' of the Municipal [Police from the district.
Now, he added, some' police have returned to their posts and are pat~ rolling their district between sunrise and sunset. These men, he said, are mainly Japanese "members of! the the Counelt's Position Asked if he regarded the with Jdrawal of the police from the urea its abandonment by the Municipal Council, the spokesman replied:
Some people say it might mean the Council's withdrawal from the: eastern district"
The situation now is such, the Joficial declared, that Japan ie in ]no position to open negotiations with the Chinese.!
"The Chinese authorities, he added, had an opportunity to begin talks August 13, when Japanese con-Stila officials' made several unsuccessful attempts to get into touch with the Mayor Mr.'. K, Yul.
'The Chinese alr raids' on_ the following "day, the oMclal "said, radically changed the situation "The Japanese Embassy in Nanking, the spokesman said, is under, the care of a "certain Ambassador." Ho neither denied nor confirmed that the envoy in question was Mr. Nelson "T. Johnson, American Am-[bassador to China. pairs were started Immediately after the bombardment.
The middle school dormitories of the National Chinan University at Chenju were damaged, but the college campus was believed to have escaped the fierce aerial barriage this}
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