Hankow, Mar. 31.
Talerhchwang, on the north bank of the Grand Car tsin-Pukow railway, is now a ing hell" with most of the city in flames and the Chinese and Japanese forces locked in furious hand to hand street-fighting amid the flames.
The Japanese forces entered the city from the north, occupying one third of the city, with the Chinese forees occupying the other two thirds, The Chinese are setting fire to the bbulldings in the northern arca, after spraying them with kerosene, attempt to burn out the Japanese and fare charging the Japanese lines with their Chinese "big swords."
About 4,000 Japanese at Talerhchwang are said to be continuing to offer stiff resistance at Nanhai and Liuchiaho and also in the north. eastern outskirts of the city.
Chinese forces, advancing from their right wing, siate, reached the vicinity of Tsa0- chwang by a flanking movement, and "inflicted 2,000 casualties on' the Japanese in an engagement in, the berth-eastern "suburbs. of Talerhchwang." The Japanese, it is said, Taunched an attack on the Chinese positions yesterday, after which they retreated towards Koolichin, Retreat from Lingyl Communications between Yihhsion and Taierhchwang are stated to have. been cut off by the Chinese.
The Japanese forces at Lingyl, in south-east Shantung, are retreating in two columns, one withdrawing in the direction of Feihsien, about 57 kilo~ metres north-east of Lingyl, and the. other falling back towards Chuhsien, according to a Chinese military communique.
'On. the Peiping-Hankow Railway front, Chinese forces are reported to have' Inunched an offensive on the Japanese positions at Tslaotso and Feoceupled the city yesterday mornning. Part of the Japanese troops inside the city are said to be holding out at present in the premises of an engineering college.
On the eastern front, another Chinese communique says, Szean, 25 Kilometres east of Kwangteh, has been recaptured by Chinese mobile units. "Heavy fighting is said to have preceded the Chinese reoccupation of the city, with the Chinese suffering /s,000 casualties and the Japanese 4,000.
The Chinese claim that captured thirty Japanese in addition to a large quantity of ammunitions and supplies. The Japanese are at present retreating towards Yishing and Chanhsin, the communique adds.
The highway near-Chiapu, on the Hangchow. Bay, has been badly cut up: by Chinese mobile units. Vanguards of these units, operating inthe vicinity of Hangchow, are stated to have reached the north bank of the Chientang river, occupying Halyen and Haining, and to be marching towards Chapu, on the Shanghat-Hangchow highway—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.