The claims made by the Chinese to have inflicted a heavy defeat upon the Japanese "in the vicinity. of Taierchwang are given prominence in the press today.
"It looks," says' the News. Chronilo in a leading article, "as if Japan fs getting into hot water. Chinese victories are not to be measured in terms of ground reconquered, but in terms of weeks lost to the Japanese whose toughest enemy is delay—and in the divisions and equipment that the Japanese have to send into China, to their own weakening at home' and on the border of Man; churia, where they face a formidable Power, Russia.
"Judged by this realistic standard, that "two famous divisions were being wiped out and more than 7,000 Japanese were killed this moming."
added that the "Chinese forees captured numerous war supplies the Japanese troops hastily retired."
On receipt of the message the \ewspapers rushed out extra editions and"tons of firecrackers were let off. Huge posters were put up in shop windows giving details of the Aghting at Taierchwang.
Tonight, as street-cleaners are busily cleaning up firecrackers and papers there is a happy. smile on every face and the populace seems to have gone veritably: mad_ with Joy. Such pandemonium has not been heard in Hankow in years.
Morning Message new determined attack against 20,000 Japanese forces northeast of Taierchwang on the Tsinpu front was anticlied by the Chinese last night. After an all-night battle a telegram was received here this morning from General Li TsungsJen, the _Com~ mander-in-Chief of the Chinese forces fon the Tsinpu front, declaring that the Japanese forces in the vicinity of Taierchwang were "now in fall retreat" northward along the railway the direction of Tsaockwang.
Those of the Japanese forces who failed to retreat in time are stated to have boon surrounded by the Chinese and that they were "now being systematically annihilated" ty the Chinese.
At the same time it is claimed that the main body of the. Chinese troops is now advancing north in pursuit of the fleeing Japanese
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.