General Retreat Claimed by Japanese Reports Hankow, Jan. 9.
In view of the Japanese threat to ihe Tsining sector of the Lunghai Ralhwày front, the Chinese forces, under the command of General Song Cheh-tuan, tne former. Chairman of the Hopei-Charhar Political Council in Peiping, whose troops arë at present stationed on the Shantung-Honan border, are rushing towards the east to support the Chinese line dt Tsining, in order to prevent the Japanese attempt to cut the Lunghai Railway, west of Hsuchowfu.
General Sung Cheh-yuan recently attended the high military conference here, amd was one of the most enthusiastic and optimistic leaders at the conference, regarding the future outcome of the Sino-Japanese hostilities. General Sung Cheh-yuan's forces at present total approximately 12,000 men.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.