Hankow, Dec. 30.
The Japanese advance on the Chientang river continued to encounter great difficulties to-day according to reports received here which state Where to Obtain Passes for Hungjao Area The British Consulate-General Have been informed verbally by the Japanese Consulate-General that passes for visiting or residing in the Hungjao Area, or for watchmen to guard property in that area, may be obtained by personal application at one of the following two places:
1—The local headquarters of the Japanese Military Police near Tung Wen College, 100 Hungjao Road, Siccawei.
2.—The local headquarters of the Japanese Military Police near Kung Dah Waste Silk Mill, 188 Jessfield Road.
The British Consul-General cannot guarantee that the above procedure will be successful, Applicants are advised to take their passpoi when applying. although he is informed that no special identification papers are Reuters correspondent to-day visited, the industrial area to see the extent of the damage done to the Japanese cotton mills, the first Japanese property in Tsingtao te be destroyed. The once-proud buildings, which are said to have represented u capital investment of $300,000,000, had been reduced to rubble.
An attempt was made yesterday to blow up the electric plant recently built to supply the Japánese mills with power. It was, however, not very successful cmly one generator being destroyed and all the windows of the plant shattered. The Chinese, it is believed, will explode' further charges to complete the job.
The Chinese, it is rumoured, intend shortly to destroy the Mayor's office and residence and the Tsingtao rollway station, as well as the Japanese Consulnte-General and the Japanese Town Hall. A Japanede silk mill and the Japanese banks WHI, it is reported, also be destroyed.
Most of the buildings affected are surrounded by homes occupied by neutrals.—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.