Other detachments started a drive against about 30,000 Chinese whose retreat has been cut off along the Kiukiang-Nanchang Railway.
Encircling operations were being pushed also against several thousand <usnese troops said to have been nrown into confusion in the areas auth of Nanchang and north-west of ne Kan River, according to the field reports.
A powerful Japanese unit severed he Chekiang-Kiangsi line at a wint near Wanchwang, 20 kilometres auth of Nanchang, at 11 o'clock this norning, according to the report of a pilot of a scouting plane which flew over the area, Disruption of the line at that point cut off the retreat of Chinese troops of the 18th Division, according to a message from an Army air base.
Chinese troops in the area are commanded by Gen. Ku Chu-tung—
Domei.
Mr. Otaru Makino, assistant manager of the Chinese Personnel Section of the Shanghai Cotton Spinning and Weaving Ca., was snot and killed by a gunman, believed to have been a Chinese, shortly after 7.40 a.m. yesterday as he was proceeding from the company's staff quarters on Pingliang Road to the No. 3 plant of the firm on Yangtszepoo Road.
At the time of the attack, the victim was riding in his private rickshaw when, at the intersection of Linching and Hangchow Roads, his assailant rushed out from hiding avd fired a single shot, which mortally injured Mr. Makino entering the left side of his head and emerging from the right cheek, He sagged back, whilst the puller of the vehicle dropped the shafts and took cover.
few minutes afterwards, the Japanese Naval Landing Party and Japanese Gendarmes arrived on the scene and threw a cordon around several blocks, searching all pedestrians and detaining a number of suspicious-looking Chinese for further questioning. Nevertheless, it was reliably learned, the Shanghai Municipal Police was making oficial investigations and photographers irom pol headquarters, arrived on the se after the shooting to take the necessary pictures Mr, Makino was 36 years old and an assemblyman of the Japanese Residents' Association. His body has been removed to the company's in-ary whilst investigations we:
Nanchang's Importance Stressed proceeding, Extraordinary Precautions New York, Mar. 28.
The importance of the capture of Nanchang by Japanese troops was iressed in the "New York Herald Tribune" here tais morning.
"The city is the western terminus of the railway from Hangchow through two hundred miles of country which no war force has Soon after the actual murder, extra-ordi precautions were being the Japanese military in all parts North Soochow Creek. Sentries were posted ct nearly every corner whilst Chinese pedestrians going into or coming out from Japanese-controlled territory had to submit to a far more thorough pene!
ated and from which the Chi- search than usual nese Government has been receiving By noon, however, Hongkew had food supplies," we paper declared. returned to normal and whilst ne capture of Nanchang cuts Wester number of sentries than ern China off from the las rail com- were still in evidence, particul: munication with the maritime district.
It also gives the Japanese another a westerly advance against c! It is not unlikely that the next advance will be in the direction [ct Changsha because the, possession nf that capital, which is connected to nton by rail, would interrupt nese movements between the Upper Yangtze and the neighbourhood of Can Hay.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.