Hankow, May 23.
HE Chinese forces, which withdrew in an easterly direction when the Japanese occupied Hsuchow "and have since been claimed by the Japanese as being "trapped", hi ave now succeeded in crossing the Tsinpu Railway westwards and formed a junction with the rest of the Chinese art it is stated here.
'A personal message from General Li Tsung-jen, the commander of the troops in question, was received in Hankow late last night stating that all the Chinese forces from the Hsuchow area had successfully withdrawn now to their designated positions west of the Tsinpu Railway.
The message added that all the "Then the same advance column heavy guns had been safely with made 2 90-degree turn to the east and drawn with the troops, and that the continued to progress along the rail~ Chinese suffered only '3,000 casual detachment also turned right 45) ties in their withdrawal, Gegrees, advancing from the south-It is understood that the point at west with Hsuchow as its objective. which the Chinese made their way The divisions which had crossed through the Japanese "net" the Tsinpu line westward are now Alrectly south of Hsuchow. being pursued by Japanese columns The receipt of this news has come advancing northwest from Suhsien, fas a grent relief here, Acute anxiety added. had been felt for the past two days "The divisions, the spokesman said, concerning the safety of General Li may escape, but with severe losses. Tsung-jen's troops since no direct The gap on the Tsinpti line south news had been received from him of Hsuchow still free of Japanese since the Japanese occupation of troops -was said to be 18 kin, wide Gaps between units spread along the Hsuchow, Tsinpu were said to be 10 kin. wide.
Situation Changed "three or four" Chinese divisions It Is felt here that this reported successful withdrawal of the Chinese had succeeded in slipping through a forees from the Hsuchow area entire~ gap In the Japanese cordon around the Chinese troops trapped southeast ay. changes the military situation, of Hsuchow, a spokesman for the The report that the Chinese aivi-Sapanese Army admitted last night. sions have arrived west of the Tsinpu Railway In good order and with their "Six Chinese divisions at Suhsien equipment Intact gives the Chinese Jand Kuchen, two very important military authorities confidence that It Chinese positions on the Tsinpt is impossible for the Japanese to south of Hsuchow, had been left break through {0 Hankow now. untouched from a tactical viewpoint.
TAt.one time it was feared that if With the completion however, of the Chinese troops withdrew in great strategical arrangements a Japanese disorder, oF suffering heavy cas detachment effected the occupation ties, It might be exceedingly dimeult fof Suhsien on May 18 and Kuchen to reorganize the Chinese defence. the next day, The news of the safe arrival of "an the meantime two advance these Chinese troops in their de-guards, whose swift mancouvring. was: signated positions is felt to have Fesponaible for the capture of the averted this possibility and optimism hilly region on the south, pushed into is returning here once more, Finuchow itself and hoisted Rising It Is further reported that the two ]Sun flags on the city walls.—Domei. Chinese armies, having now formed junction together, have begun a Tientsin Mayor De: counter-attack eastward against the Unverified information from Peking Snpanese positions. stated that Gen. Chang Tzuechuns One unoMelal report: even states former Mayor of Tientsin and Com: that Chinese forces reontered mander of the 38h Division, died of Hyuchow oily late, yesterday after~ wounds he received in the Hsuchow noon, but there Is no oficial confirma sector. tion for this report,—Router, Gen, Chang reportedly had been held responsible by the Nationalist Japanese Account Government for the lose of the Tien-Shanghai, My 24, {tsin-Poking area, and was making Describing the military manquyres frantic efforts to redeem himself by which Ted {to the occupation of Hisucommanding troane at Tinevl and chow at "unprecedented in the annals Hsuchow, the Pekine mesmee said. fof war," a spokesman for the Japa 'A. Tapanese detachment detested ese Expeditionary Force in Central Chinese soldiers in a battle in the China on May 22 gave a detailed' vicinity of Kiulishan, west of Hsu-account of the Lunghai front cam= chow, a Tsinan message claimed. The Chinese lost 1,000 dead. the message "The suees of the Japanese "round-up" mandouvre, ho stated, war "glittering achievement" of a small force fighting against numerically superior army, Tu occupying Hsuchow, the Japanese, according to the statement, had fo fore their way through strong Chinese defences, manned by 60 divi said.
Wang Congratulates Teraucht Dr. Wang Kehemin, Chairman of the Provisional Government's Execu~ tive Yuan, has personally congraulated Gen. Count isaichi Terauch Commander-in-Chief of the Japanese Expeditionary Force in North Chi fon the occupation of Hsuchow. sions.
"Cioscly ce-operating with the Japanese troops in North China, the Japanese expeditionary force in Central Chinn, commanded by Gen, Shunroku Hata, has been making careful preparations, awaiting an opportunity to exterminate the Chinese forces," the statement said Strong Hines Penetrated "on May, 6m Japanese force Taunched an attack on Chinese posltions on, the Peifoi River and west of Hwaiyuan, 'These defences have been under construction for more than a month, "Despite rains and excessive heat, Japanese columns' advancing from the south penetrated several strong Chinese lines of defences and, tually, placed themselves in a position for the. encircling movement, This manceuvre has seldom been equalled in world history in the vast~ hess of its scale and speedy execution, "On May 7, the advancing columns cent the Suhsien-Yingchow "highway in the vicinity of Mengcheng. The jatter" lly fell Into Japanese hands two days later.
"On'May 12, paying no heed to the appearance of two Chinese divisions south of Mengcheng and to the Chi-hose troop concentrations at Kuchen and Suhsien, the Japanese columns Fesumed their advance northward and entered Yungehen the same day.
"two days later an advance guard pushed farther north under the guid-nee of aeroplanes and destroyed a bridge on the Lunghai Railway cast of Tangshan, thus disrupting Chinese ¥aij transportation.
Japanese military spokesman here oven led last night.
The Chinese politician also lett with Gen. Terauchi a check for '¥.100,000 for the needs of the Japanese emeers and men wounded in faction at the Lunghai front—Domel, Trlangle Pens In Chinese Shanghai. May 25.
Japanese lines surrounding Chinese south of Hsuchow on May 21 formed leaning triangle with Softien. south of Siachsien, in Kiangsu province, as fts apex and with a base running north to south—from /Minsientst_ on the Tientsin-Pukow Railway to Kiakow in Anhwei prov. ince, a Japanese army spokesman ald' last night.
The sides of the triangle are approximately 30 Kilometres long.
Meantime 10,000 Chinese troops east of the Tsinpu Railway. were attacked by a Japanese column near Chulan. south-west of Hsuchow, on May 22. In retreating the spokesman claimed, the Chinese abandoned 600 killed, three 15-centimetre calibre /howitzers, three mountain guns, three anti-aircraft machine guns. 33 trucks and large numbers of Tight and heavy machine guns and rifles.
Tu Hsuchow Japanese troops. took three armoured cars, five rapid fire) guns, 33 locomotives and 400 railway carriages, the spokesman said.
Other war booty taken in the battle for Hsuchow had not yet been counted, he added.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.