In the late communique from Japanese army headquarters last night it was announced that Japanese troops had last night reached a point within three kilometres of Tazang, a key point in the Chinese second line of defence. Important gains in the south-western part of the Lotien sector were, meanwhile, claimed by the Japanese, who stated that three detachments, at 2 p.m. yesterday, had established their positions along a line running north and south of Tingchiachal, about two kilometres west gf the Shanghai-Liuho These units, the communique added, the previous day broke through the Chinese lines west of the motor road and were, last night, continuing to advance westward.
An effective reply to the Chinese report of a Japanese withdrawal from the Civic Centre-was yesterday provided when the Japanese took a party of newspapermen to the area, allowing them to see for themselves that no withdrawal had been made.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.