The question of maintaining cone nections with the coast is becoming, instantly more dificult as the Japan ese penetrate deeper into the Interior, and is beginning to play the Import-fant role foreseen from the beginning fof the conflict. It is pointed out, for example, that up to the present the Japanese have not been successful in establishing railway connections between Peiping and Pacting, Nor are the Japanese able to obtain provisions from the land as all wore destroyed by the Chinese before withdrawing, Foreign military experte are un= animous in declaring that during the ast months a decided strengthening China's position has been evident, The will to resist is increasing, and the Japanese hopes of a collapse of the central government are evidently doomed to failure, The end of the war ix therefore regarded as by no means near unless Japan decides to make peace over tures or a third power intervenes—Trans-Ocean, tion of the Peiping-Hankow and the Taokow-Chinghua railways, as their base, are reported to have had their adviince halted as a result of the! stout opposition offered by the Chinese circles here lost night by rum-'Some was caused in Chi-ours that Kaifeng, capital of Honan ud twice in its history capital China, had ttle to the Japanese, Anxlely on this score was, however, relieved with the arrival of dispatches stating that the rumours were unfounded.
"To capture Kaifeng, which tx on the Lunghai Railway, the Japanese would have to" cross the Yellow River, but so far they have made no. serious attempt to surmount this great natural obstacle to their pro-
Any attempt to do so, Chinese uarlers here assert, are bound to entail much loss of life as the Chinese "forces on the south bank of the river are strongly entrenched.
Chinese reinforcements are being! rushed to West Shansi to stem the advance of the Japanese right wing.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.