Reports were received on March 10 im crossing. the Yellow River_ at Steshul, This has atleest temporarily control of the Lunghai, Raitw In the western Honan sector of the yellow River, the Japanese forces at Iaenghsien and Wenhsien, on the north bank, are heavily shelling the Chinese [positions onthe south bank of the great waterway. The apparent objective of this move is to cross the iver near Kunghsien and Loyang. in order to cut the Lunghai Railway Between Chengchow and Tungwan, Tsinpu Front On the Tientsin-Pukow Rellway [front the centre of fighting at present appears to be shifting eastward, with "the Japanese forces pushing towards the eastern terminus of the Lunghai Railway in two columns.
One of these Japanese columns is attacking Linghsing, while the other staged is advancing on Jihchao, on the coast of southern Shantung. Var guards of the Japanese forces have Teached Antungwel, a seacoast town fon_the Kiangsu-Shantung border.
General Chang Tsung-yuan, brother lof General Chang Tsung-chang, onetime Governor of Shantung, who was! assassinated at Tsinan, itis, understood is commanding the Japanese column which is attacking Jihchao—
Reuter.
Report Ridieuled Shanghai, Mar. 9.
Japanese military circles yesterday described as "ridiculous" a Hankow report to the effect that General Chang Tsung-yuan was in command of he Japanese column attacking Jihchao in southern Shantung. "Only Japanese are in command of Japan-exe. forces, "a military spokesman declared.
Trains Attacked Peiping, Mar, 8.
With the Japanese troops in Shansi pushing further inland every day, Chinese guerilla bands have inten-sifed their activity in Hopet and Honan in an effort to hinder the despatch "of supplies and reinforcements to the advancing Japanese forces. They are paying special attention to the. Peiping-Hankow Railway, the service on which has again been disrupted.
"The last train from Peiping two days" ago was attacked north of Paotingfu, resulting in two Japanese passengers being killed. Some of the Wravellers who. returned here subsequently by road declared that large sections of the railway south of Shihchiachwang, at the junction the Peiping-Hankow and Chentai Railways, had been destroyed by' guerilla. A large force of these: Buerilla troops is now said to be fighting the daponese north of Cho-
Possession of Railway The Japanese troops in Shansi claim to have captured Puchow, in the south-west corner of Shansi and the "terminus of the Talyuantu-Puchow Railway. This gives the! Japanese possession of the entire ral way, but large areas on either side lof it are still in Chinese hands. Tt is, expected that it will take considerable time and many men to clean up these areas.
The Japanese also claim the occupation of Haku, on the Yellow River In north-west" Shansi. The jcaplure is said to have been made by a Kwantung Army unit operating from Tatung.
While the Japanese continue their relentless "drive in Shansi,. their! artillery in Honan continues to pound Chinese defences on the Lunghai Railway from positions north of the Yellow River preparatory to an. attempt to cross the waterway.
Their heavy, guns are also bom. [barding all Chinese concentrations boats on the river to prevent attempts by the Chinese to recross and attack while the majority of the Japanese forees are engaged in Shansi—Reuter.
Optimism in Hankow Hankow, Mar. 7.
Several high Chinese officers' who nave just returned from the front to [Hankow declared to a Transocean Tepresentative to-day that the high ing in Shansi province would develop to. the advantage of China in. the nearest future—Trans-Ocean. the. effect that the Japanese had given them, Hankow, Mar. 9.
A delayed message received here from Chengchow states that a detachment of 900 Japanese troops with twenty tanks succeeded in crossing the Yellow River, under cover of a heavy artillery barrage, on March 8, The crossing was effected at Szeshul, to the north-west of Chengchow and between Chengchow and Kunghslen.
The Chinese forces defending the south bank of the Yellow River blew up the dykes and flooded the area where the Japanese troops had Janded. The Chinese claim that this manazivre succeeded in drowning the majority of the Japanese troops and rendering the tanks useless.
Tt Is not yet certain whether' the Japanese still have a foothold south fof the river. The news so far received here merely slates that at the time the message was sent off from Chengchow the remnants of the JJapanese who had not been drowned were being surrounded in the neighbouring hills nearby—Reuler.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.