In two converging columns, Japanese troops yesterday were closing in upon Kwangchow, westernmost extremity of the Chinese defence triangle in south-eastern Honan intended to block the way of a Japanese thrust at the Peiping-Hankow Railway, Domei dispatches from correspondents at the front stated.
From the north of the strongly fortified city, a Japanese column that proceeded 400 kilometres up the swollen Hwai River from Pengpu in 10 days, was marching down upon Kwangchow after defeating, on Saturday night, a Chinese force equipped with three feld guns. In a brief artillery duel, one Chinese gun war silenced as a Japanese shell scored a direct hit on an ammunition caisson near by.
From the east, another Japanese column advancing from Kushih was reported to be crushing Chinese opposition on its westward advance to Kwangchow. Japanese troops on Friday evening put to rout Chinese defending Hutsupu, 20 kilometres west of Kushih. In retreating the Chinese abandoned 150 dead.
Meanwhile, another Japanese column which suddenly appeared at several points on a line connecting Fukou and Chowchiakow, 70 kilometres east of the vital Peiping-Hankow Railway, on Friday, was preparing to cross the 20-kilometrewide new bed of the Yellow River ior a thrust at the railway between Suchang and Yencheng Naval a craft severely bombed these two towns on Sa'urday. The cutting of this railway at this point would isolate the Chinese forces under Gen. Wan Fü-lin defending the important Chengchow junction of the Lunghai and Peiping-Hankow Railways and, simultaneously, sever connections between Hankow and the Chinese troops deployed on the south bank of the Yellow River between Chengchow and Tungkwan, it w pointed out. The sudden appearance of this Japanese column, the dispatches said, have thrown into confusion the Chinese 39th, 81st and 36th Chinese divisions. deployed along the southern section of the Peiping-Hankow Railway.
The week-old battle west of Yeh-kiaotsi, which developed into one of the most sanguinary encounters in the present hostilities, was nearing its end, field reports reaching. Japanese. headquarters were said to indicate.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.