In the Japanese-occupied areas. [Chinese who had somehow escaped Unharmed in the deadliest of all wars their countryside had seen since time immemorial were returning to their homes—squalid mud-tharened huts jess proud thun dog kennels, farm~ steads in' ruins or almost miraculous intact, or homes abandoned by former tenants—houscholders who have vanished in the vastest of all Numan migrations.
Everywhere, Chinese life was seeping back Into the Japanese-occupied jaraas, and the work of rebuilding hamlet, village and town was being restarted, Tt was a slow process. typified by a barber beginning life anew in a half-demolished hut equipped with one chair, one basin, one Knife-razor and one.bar of soap.
"The hospitality the Japanese are sowing this party of foreign cor gspondents knows no bounds.
General Hata, who received us yesterday, hag invited us to fly back his headquarters for tea as soon as return from, Hsuchowfu.
"The correspondents spent their first night in what was once a Chinese house and each was given a separate room, "One of them slept in an old-fashioned "four poster" bed, which had @ red blanket bearing the design ofa yellow tiger.
Shortly after arrival a Japanese Jorderly came In and bowed low saying in excellent: French, "Dinner is ready, Sir.", Before the war, he was cello player In a symphony orchestra: now Ihe is a corporal in the Japanese Army.
The dinner provided was perfect and it was served by the orderly with all the skill of a well-trained In Serious Tos Pengpu, May 21.
The situation of the Chinese armies im the Lunghai Railway area appears to be serious as a result of the success of the Japanese in crossing the Yellow River and cutting the Lung-hal Railway in the vicinity of Lanfeng, west of Hsuchowfu, From Lanfeng Japanese troops are now advancing eastward, and they threaten (0 encircle the main forces of the Chinese, who escaped from Tsuchowfu and are trying to rally In the vicinity of Kweiteh, by cooperating with the Japanese colum pushing westward from Hsuchowfu, The Chinese troops on the Lunghai Railway, moreover, have been separated by the occupation of Hsu chow, the defenders of the Hsuchow rea having been forced east of the town and a wedge driven between the armies.
These forces, comprising. 50 divi sions, are slated to be "without Leaders and retreating in great disorder." They are also threatened. with encirclement by the Japanese drive eastward from Hsuchow combining with the Japanese westward drive from Haichow, the terminus of the Lunghai Railway, where a strong Japanese naval party, which landed yesterday, have begun ad-vaneing Westward towards Hsuchow, It is emphasized by Japanese mill tary commanders that the annihilation of the Chinese in the Lunghai Railway area is not the final phase of the present war, but only a "hop" in the hop, skip and jump to Hankow and, possibly, to Chungking. Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.