In spite of conflicting rumours, it was apparent yesterday that hostilities on a wider scale than hitherto 1 broken out in the Peiping area. Chinese reports had it that Japanese planes bombed Hsiyuan and set the Chinese barracks there on fire, while they state that seven Japanese planes at the aerodrome at Chaochiateng, south of Peiping. were seized by Chinese who captured the airfield yesterday morning. It was further stated that scores of bombs had been dropped in the suburbs of Peiping. while handbills, issued in the name of Lieut-Gen, K. Katsuki, Japanese commander-in-chief, were sifted over the city itself, Japanese announcements confirmed air raids to some extent, stating that following the bombing of Chinese barracks at Nanyuan and Hsiyhan. both points had been occupied by Japanese troops. It was further reported that a Japanese force had taken Shahochen, twenty kilometres north of Peiping at 10.30 a.m. and that the Peiping-Suiyuan railway line was cut at 230 p.m. when a Japanese detachment occupied Chinghochen, twenty kilometres west of Peiping. Only brief resistance was put up in each instance, it was announced.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.