Hankow, Mar. 30.
A narrow escape from death, experienced by General Chiang Kai-shek during his recent visit to the Tsinpu Railway fighting area, was revealed here to-day. While the Generalissimo was of Gen. Tang En-po, about 50,000 Chinese troops still are offering stiff resistance to the Japanese advance at Taierhchwang, terminus of the Tsaochwang-Taierhchwang Railway, according to reports received from field commanders in southern Shantung to-day.
Japanese troops which occupied a point north-east of Taierhchwang on March 28 succeeded in dislodging Chinese defenders from half of the walled town on March 29.
General Tang's men retreated toward Taierhchwang after the Japanese unloosed a furious attack on Kuolitsi and surrounding areas. The remaining Chinese forces in the region extended their defense lines to the Grand Canal.
According to a report from Yenchow, 500 Chinese were slain in a night attack by Japanese troops on positions at Sanhochuang, eight kilometres north of Kuolitsi. The Japanese captured an assortment of arms, horses and vehicles—Domei. travelling to Hsuchow in his own aeroplane, escorted by fourteen Chinese pursuit planes, 24 Japanese fighters suddenly appeared and attacked the Chinese machines, it is learned. The attack occurred in the neighbourhood of Kweiteh, some hundred miles west of Hsuchow. In the furious fight which ensued, five Japanese machines were shot down. Two Chinese machines were also lost. The Japanese finally withdrew and the Generalissimo reached Hsuchow unscathed. Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.