Repulses Prepare for Mainland Operations wont Our Ows Comesroxoent Amoy, Aug. 26.
Amoy is still a dead city cut oft {rom all communication with the mainland, While food supplies are smuggled through the Chinese lines to Kulangsu, none come to Amoy. Frult and vegetables, fowls and egos. may be purchased in Kulangsu although the price of these is higher than formerly. Daily at sunrise and sunset heavy artillery shell Sensoo, the trunk road terminus on the mainand opposite Amoy, and the surrounding coast line is held by Cantonese troops; the other side is garrisoned by the sist Division.
'Many attempts have been made by the Japanese to Tand troops on the mainland, but not one has been successful. 'These efforts, however, have never been made on' a very large scale, Five hundred men went to Sensoo in motorboats under cover of 'a firework display at Amoy but falled to obtain a footing. The Chinese soldiers are vigilant, and barbed wire encircles every favourable landing place, but without doubt a landing, could be forced if the attempt were to be made with sufficient men and it the price were to be paid for it. Within the last week reinforcements. from Formosa were landed at Amoy and also. vast military stores and tanks and it is possible that some-{lo may be brewing in this direc ton.
No soldiers are tatianed in the city at present and only a few sailors are here to defend it, The soldiers have been withdrawn to the other side of the island facing the mainland, On this side es the mainrond to the northern military headquarters at Chuanchow, which situated about halfway between Amoy and Foochow. For quite a considerable time artillery has been heard bombing in this direction and after sunrise every morning machinegun fire has also been heard.
Vessels Call at Chuanchow Little news, however, can be procured of what is going' on as no one {is allowed to journey into the country, Into Hobson as it is called, oF allowed to move from the country. into the city. The Douglas Laipraik. fand the Butterfield & Swire steamships make Chuanchow a port of call and the J.C.L. Line are also thinking fof opening an office there. Thus a Tittle of the business that used to come through Amoy is now being done direct with the mainland itself. This does not please the Japanese at all for they see that the future holds mall hope for the business recovery of Amoy.
The Customs on September 1, will move over to its old quarters in Amoy. Great things are hoped by the Japanese from this transfer. But the overseas pons will boycott all goods that. have Amoy as its port of origin, Singapore, at present, will have nothing to do with any' goods shipped from Kulangsu. Much cargo from this port has been destroyed by the Chinese there and no amount of tele graphic remonstraniees will. convince the people in the south that Kulangsu is not Amoy and is not in the hands of the Japanese. With the Customs} fon the other side this little business, wil cease, The Deputy Commissioner and two assistants; the Harbour Mas ter, two examiners and four tides waiters are to be Japanese. They have arrived already for duly, The men they have replaced have gone or going. Two Europeans only will be Toft, the Commissioner and en assistant' examiner who are Britis
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.