The third phase of the Sino-Japanese hostilities in and around Shanghai, which began last Sunday, was reviewed by a Chinese military Spokesman at a press conference yesterday afternoon.
According to the spokesman,/ th" Japanese had failed miserably in their repeated attempts to break through the Chinese lines before they were consolidated. Severe fighting appeared to have been confined to the Lotien-Yanghang line, where Chinese troops inflicted heavy casualties on the attackers.
Although Lotien, now devoid of strategic importance, passed into Japanese hands, Japanese forces along Lotien to the Wentsaopang creek line have been lukewarm in their attacks since their failure to break the new battle line, acco; to the spokesman. In fact the initiative has now passed into Chinese hands, he said.
Yesterday marked another uneventful day. According to the spokesman, the Shanghai line, including the Kiangyan Road and Chapei fronts, remained quiet, possibly with both sides "observing the Mid-Autumn Festival." It has been ascertained that the fires which broke out in some of the houses near the railway and on the Chapei front were started by Japanese in Order to clear the line of rifle shooting toward Chapei, the spokesman said.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.