The Chinese military spokesman stated that Japanese forces had launched an offensive, on March 22, against Chinese positions in the vicinity of Lingyl. He believed, fnowever, that the Japanese troops would shortly use their main body fo cross Welshan Lake, north-west Jof Hsuchowfu, in order to attack 'Kweiteh, with the intention of cut ting the Lunghai Railway, west of Hsuchowfu, 'This, he said, was. the present objective of the' Japanese The Japanese forces in northern [Kiangsu "province, the spokesman continued, occupied Jukao on March 20, and ' were" advancing towards Balan, north-west of Jukao, Japanese troops stationed in the Nanking area, he declared, were reported to be moving Into' north Kiangsu province to participate in a rive there, in order to threaten Hsuchowfu from the south-east.
The Chinese, the spokesman said, had crossed the Yellow River Yellow River. "Lichen, an. important lity in south-east Shansi, the spokesman concluded, hid been recaptured the Chinese who were now engaging Japanese relief detachments from Changehi and Laichen—Reuter,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.