The Chinese and Japanese forces are at present facing each other on the north bank of the Yangtze in.the hills east of Taihu, while at Cheng-yang kwan the two forces are confronting each other across the Pi River, which is at préseht swollen, bringing military operations to a standstill, The Japanese advance towards Hankow must overcome many communications difficulties, declared the Chinese military spokesman. Large scale military operations involving the use of five or more divisions, he said, were very difficult when far away from railways, The Japanese advance westward along the Yangtze River, the spokesman continued, must rely on warships io maintain ' communications and supplies, but serious difficulties would be encountered if over three divisions of troops were involved.
He admitted, however, the pi bility of the Japanese launching a drive towards Nanchang from Hangchow and Kiukiang and then, using the Chekiang-Kiangsi and Kiangsi-Hunan railways, making a thrust for Changsha, capital of Hunan.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.