Shanghai, May 17.
ISTORY was made yesterday morning, when the vanguards of the Japanese armies in north and central China effected a junction east of Tangshan, on the Lunghai Railway.
The junction, made near the twisted remains of the Wangchi bridge, blown up by Japanese soldiers on Saturday, brought to an end the first phase of the hostilities, which broke out at Lukouchiao on the night of July 7 last.
The announcement of the junction was the most important item among the flood of reports which poured into Shanghai from all parts of the Hsuchow front.
After offecting the junction, the combined force Immediately turned est, towards beleaguered Hsuchow.
'Ai 2 o'clock yesterday afternoon, the column had already passed' Chengehi, a small. station 36 Kkims. east of Tangshan and 48 kims, west of Hsuchow.
Another powerful column yesterday morning was only 25 kims. southwest of Hsuchow, when it battered its" way into Siaohsien, a walled: town on the Yungcheng-Hsuchow highway.
This column, reports from Peiping revealed, formed the main body of the Japineso forces operating west of the Tsinpu Railway, 'A tank unit attached to this force on Saturday cut the Lunghai Rail way at, Tangshan, Strong units have! also been detached to attack Suhsion and. Kucheng, important—stations south of Hsuchow, on the tsinpu me,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.