FEATURE of the week's more or less intensive fighting, has been the extensive air raids carried out by the Japanese janes which succeeded in doing very material damages to Chinese aerodromes and aircraft equipments.
The operations commenced on February, 24, when the Japanese combined military and naval flying'corps carried out re ids in Hungjao and Soochow, two important Chinese air bases. The damage, particularly in Soochow, a walled city about 40 miles from Shanghai on the Shanghai-Nanking Railway, has been very heavy where a number of Chinese craft, machine shops and aeroplane hangar were practically reduced to ruins. The ties of the aircraft continued the following days in the Lunghua district where the arsenal and the railway station situated.
Perhaps the most determined air raid was carried out on Si relay (February 27), when several squadrons of Japanese bombing and pursuit "planes almost confpletely eliminated two Chinese aerodromes near Hangchow and partially destroyed the Markham Road railway station on the Shanghai-Nanking Railway. Fighting continued in the main sectors around Shanghai and although the Japanese scattered the Chinese troops from Woosung, no advance was actually made. In Chapel, the Japanese' naval units succeeded in pushing their way about half 'a-mile into the Chines defence, which has now taken them almost directly north of the Shanghai North railway station.
Japanese reinforcements have arrived in Shanghai during the week and although it predicates major: engagements against the Chinese, hope is now hinged on the peace negotiations set afoot again on the initiative of the Foreign Ministers, under the lead of Sir Miles Lampson, the British Minister to Chi The "NorthChina Daily News" was able to get an exclusive story which explains the Japanese point of view and their willingness to cease hostilities on certain definite conditions, They are: (1) The withdrawal of troops to a definite line on each side, (2) 'The appointment of a mixed committee of Japanese and Chinese affeers to supervise the withdrawal, the committee to comprise neutral observers, if desired, (3) 'The immediate creation of a round-table conference, on' which all interested foreign nationalities will be represented, to discuss provisions for the protection of foreign and Chinese interests and the status of Shanghai and to arrange for the policing of the evacuated zone, The British Minister, who was holding discussions in Shanghai with the various interested parties, has now gone to Nanking, where a report states that he has been holding lengthy conversations with the Chinese Foreign Minister, Dr. Lo Wen: and it is understood that he has made certain concrete proposals to the Chinese authorities for cessation of fighting.
'The result of these negotiations has not been made known' at present, but optimism prevails in certain circles which, viewing the' present deplorable financial and business conditions in the city, are carrying on their energetic pursuit for peace on agreeable terms, The American point of view in regard to the present si tion receives emphasis in the letter which Col. Henry Lo Stimson, the Secretary of State, wrote to Senator Borah. The letter has been received with general satisfaction in C ese circles who read into it a "veiled threat" to Japan while Japanese opinion may be suid to have been portrayed in the "Asa comment that "not by doubting Japan's motives but by cooperating, with Japan will America enable China to stand on her own feet"
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.