Hankow, Mar. 9, Several members of the Italian Mission on the outskirts of Chengchow were wounded during a raid by, Japanese plañes yesterday, "Phis was learned from a brief migsage received by the Italian Embassy here to-day from the Italian Bishop at Chengchow. Unconfirmed reports state that two of the Italian priests were killed.
Both Chinese and Japanese aircraft were active yesterday despite blinding—snow-storms, Chinese planes raiding the Japanese artillery positions in southern Shansi, and Japanese machines bombing Sian in addition to Chenchow.
Chengchow was raided twice by a total of seventeen planes. The first raid occurred in the morning with nine Japanese planes participating. "The second appearance of the raiders Was made in the afternoon, when eight machinees bombed the city.
When the Japanese planes visited Sian, Chinese defenders took to the it and engaged the invaders, who are stated to have disappeared in two groups. One of these groups, it is stated, encountered the Chinese planes returning to their base after bombing southern Shansi. In the ensuing aerial combat, according to a Chinese report, three Japanese planes were shot down.—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.