Hankow, May 16.
Very severe fighting was raging in western Shantung, where the Chine: evacuated Kinghs yesterday ang morning, Chinese reports' from. the front revealed today.
The Japanese troops at Tsaocho it was stated, were now move southeast, in the direction of Kin: hsiang and Chuyai.
A small Japanese detachment wa: said to have reached Lungkwants! and Matoutsi, villages 20 kin. northeast of Kaochen, which is northeast of Lanfeng on the Lunghai Railwa:
This move, it was said, had a ently given rise to the Japanese report that Japanese forces had cut the Lunghai Railway at "Lanfeng. The Chinese forces at Kaochen launched 3 vigorous attack and dispersed the Japanese detachment there, it was claimed.
Another smal! Japanese detachment reached Tawangtsi, thirteen Kr north of Teaohsien, but the Japanese were stated to have "quickly retired" when the Chinese troops en them.
It was also claimed that the Japanese detachment, - which appeared when the Chinese troops engaged about fourteen miles southeast of Tangshan, west of Hsuchowfu, r ed when the Chinese subjected it te a severe artillery and infantry attack.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.