Shanghai, Apr. 15.
Japanese naval authorities have no offelal information on the reported Sopanese air raids en Foochow and on the rumoured presence of a large' number of vessels off the Fukien port, it was revealed yesterday mornin; "if the reports of the presence of ships off Foochow are correct naval spokesman here said, "they ate there for a good reason."
Japanese Hankow, Apr. 16.
Yihsien remains in the hands of the Japanese despite repeated attempts by Chinese troops armed with big swords and hand grenades to storm the city walls during the past few hours. The Chinese have now decided to awalt the arrival of heavy guns from the rear to launch a general assault. According to. Chinese despatches. a small number of Chifese soldiers managed to enter the south-east section of Tsa0- chwang this-morning, but were later compelled to retire after force street fighting with the Japanese defendors.
Anticipating a Japanese move to rush fresh troops from Tsingtao to Jihehao, on the east Shantung coast, for a thrust into the Linyi sector, it is understood that one strong Chinese detachment is advancing northward from Linyi in the direction of Chuhsion to. prevent such a drive.
Chinese forces, occupied the north-stern outskirts of Yihsien, states military communique issued here Into last night. 'The Japanese troops. in the town, estimated at 10,000 in Humber, are' now entirely. surround ed, it is claimed, and their retreat out off.
'A Chinese fying column was last night stated to have reached a village called Wangkal, four miles south of Tenghsien and about 25 miles north of the Grand Canal on the Tientsin-
Pukow railway. It is expected that this column wit soon push Tenghsien, which, according to Chinese roporis, is stated to be defended by only a few hundred Japanese troops.
Military dispatches from Talerchwang point out that conditions in the southeast of Shaniung Province are exceedingly dim cult for offensive operations as the area is full of Blockbouses built In the hills, which enable the Japanese troops to hold out against Chinese attacks—Reuter.
New Advance Movement Hankow, Apr. 16 "ighting around Tsaochwan; sion in South Shantung continues with Undiminished violence, no desive result having yet been reached.
4 Is reported here. The number of Japanese troops in the hotly contest-triangle Lincheng-Talerchwang-Hanchwang has been estimated about 15,000 men, distributed chiefly over Lincheng, Teaochwang, Yihsien "According to Chinese reports from the front, the Japanese now seem to have decided to advance from Tsing tao to Hsuchow, junction of the Tsinpu_and Lunghai railways, the Japanese detachments using the main roadway in the east of Shantung Yeading from Tsingtao to Yichou and from there onwards to the couth to the Lunghai railway,, These Japanese troops are said to be slowly nearing the Liny! sector, the vanguard being reported already to have reached Tisiengehen southwest of Linyl. The Chinese have thrown new reinforce ments to Linyi in order to prevent. the Japanese to advance.
in the fighting sector at Tungkuan in South-West Shansi, an artillery duel suddenly broke out, yesterday from the banks of the Yellow civer, was announced here, without however leading to any tactical changes, At Kaifeng, several hundred Japat tse tried to cross the Yellow. Riv but were driven back, accutding to Chinese - reports—Tratis-Ocean, Assault Halted hankow, Apr. 17. The Chinese command on the Tientsin-Pukow Railway is changing its tactics, according to Chinese reports received here. today.
The assault of the Chinese forces fon Yihsien, about twenty miles north-west of Taierchwang, is stated to have been halted "in order to avoid the unnecessary losses which would inevitably be entailed by the reports declare, the Chinese command has decided to use smaller forces to surround the Japanese troops at Yihsien, Tsnochang and, Hisionchen and "Starve them 'At the same time, the dispatches continue, the main' body of the Chinese forces is being shifted for operations in an "undisclosed area." Reuter.
Linkslen Taken Shihchiachwang, Apr. 17.
Defeating a force of abaut_ 1,600 Chinese under General Wan Fu-lin, Commander of the 83rd Army, entrenched in the vicinity of Lin-hsien in north Honan, a Japanese infantry detachment captured the walled city at 4 o'clock on April 15, according to dispatches received by the Japanese Garrison here tonight, Linhsien is about $0" kilometers west of Changteh near the Shansi border—Domel,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.