The importance of Mahweiling cannot be minimised since the possession of this strategic point will enable en army holding it either to march southward along the Kiukian; Nanchang Railway to Nanchang or advance westward along the highway, via Wuning and Hslushui, on the Canton-Hankow Railway ' south of Hankow, Observers on the Juichang front declare that the Japanese, following the failure of two, determined "at tempts to carry the high hills strongly defended by crack Chinese divisions, have definitely abandoned tele' attempt to break through the Chinese line west of Kiukiang for a march westward along the south bank of the Yangtze, A Japanese advance in this sector, it is stated, must now awalt the outcome of the Mahwelling battle.
An urgent telephone message received here this afternoon by the Chinese military headquarters said that Mahwelling was still in Chinese hands and that fighting was going on at Mingshan, seven miles south-east Tehan, the "gateway to Nanchang" fon the railway line linking Kiukiang with the Kiangsi provincial capital.
Meantime, further north, along the Anhwei-Honan border, ' Japanese troops were steadily continuing their advance westward following the capture of Yehkiats! near the provincial frontier.
Intensive aerial activity, with mass ights of Japanese military and naval aircraft blasting the way in hilly terrain for the advancing in-
Japan to Respect Hankow Zones Tokyo, Sept. 5.
The Japanese Government has notified the British, American, French, German and Italian Ambassadors of Japan's willingness to respect a "speci~ fied section" of Hankow as a zone which will be immune from attack.
This declaration is subject to the reservation that the zone nowise serves as a base for Chinese military operations, Conditions for the immunity of the zone include the non-passage of arms there, and the exclusion of the Chinese military authorities from the zone.—Reuter. fantry in the place of artillery, held back by a lack of roads and other transit facilities, continued to feature the operations.
Skirting the Yangtze, along the narrow strip of land between the river and Chi Hu, the Red Lake, Japanese Army forces, ce-operating with the naval landing party under Lieut-Commander Kitaro Meishan, northwest of Juichang wus also claimed having been taken without much opposition on yesterday morning, but violent engage Inients were reported from the area southwest of Juichang where the Japanese were attacking Chinese positions at Shekiolung, 16 kilometres In a determined offensive Jaunched o'clock yesterday morning, Jap-troops were claimed to have suieceeded in putting to rout six Chinese divisions defending the aproaches to Kwangehi, reaching a point 8 kilometres from the strategic Hupeh city. The capture Kwangehi would open the rear of the Chinese forces at Wusueh on the river bank to a Japanese attack, While major progress was claimed have been made by Japanese troops striking directly south from Kiukiang towards Tehan, spirited counter-attacks by Chinese forces Jagainst Japanese troops operating in the western foothills of the Lushan mountains were reported in Kiu-Kiang. A particularly bitter encounter took place Saturday night at Tangkuling, "when the Chinese attempted "in vain to retake this clrategic height. Chinese losses. in act "week's "engagements were Jestimated by Japanese affeers to be excess of 10,000.
Mahwelling Captured 'The fall of Mahweiling removed the last major obstacle in the Japanese southward push, these reports, claimed, Located at the junction of the Kiukiang-Nanchang 'Railway and the Tehan highway, this town' wa Mahwelling fell into Japanese hands at 330 on Saturday afternoon Jas Japanese troops continued a relentless drive southwards from the foot hills of the Lushan mountain The Chinese collapse was brought lo bout Friday after an all-day deter mined Japanese attack during which several engagements at close quarters were fought, both sides freely resorting to the use of hand grenades Jand bayonets, 'With their mechanized equipment virtually useless in these operate hilly terrain, Japanese intantrymen fought one of the fiercest battles since the days of the Shanghai hostilities year ago, The Chinese, fresh recruits of the' student type, Put up a gallant stand.
A late message said aerial reconnaissance had confirmed reports that Chinese troops, estimated to number 20,000, were falling back in disorder from Mahweiling toward HTehan. The Chinese were said to be badly disorganized that Japanese planes were able to machine-gun them from an altitude of 100 metres without being fired upon, Shanghai, Sept. 5.
Three pivotal points in the first line defences of the Wuhan tri-cities in the heart of China faced capture yester~ day as the Japanese "big push" in the Yangtze Valley sector hit its stride.
Already being subjected to Japanese artillery fire were Kwangehi, on the northern bank of the Yangtze, controlling the Hwangmei-Kishui highway along which Japanese ad-lock yesterday morning reached Iwanpu, four kilometres southeast of Wusueh. A boom has been sunk in the river by the Chinese between Matouchen and Wusueh, On the left tank of this Japanese: column, in the hills north of Julchang, 10 Chinese divisions remained out of ithe original 30 holding this sector. Included among those there was the jerack 58th Central Army Division.
Little resistance was, however, offered by these Chinese troops
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.