Several Attacking Divisions Said to Have Been Surrounded; Japanese Say City May Not Be Taken Chungking, Oct. 4.
S6QEVERAL divisions of Japanese troops are at present trapped in the Mofushan mountains, in the north-east of Hunan, with food enough to last only five days," declares a Chinese field dis-arch received here today from Changsha.
It claims that Chinese] troops yesterday morning recaptured Fulingpu, a strategic village north-east of Changsha.
"A Japanese column which reached the hills between Hsiushui and Tungku in an attempt to encircle Changsha from the south-is at present hemmed in by Chinese columns from the north, south and east."
According to Chinese dispatches. the of Changsha have been recaptured fate of Changsha will probably be by, Chinese forees, @ecided in a battle now raging in the 'The Chinese," it is added, "are Mofushan "mountain now mopping up Japanese remnants 'Reports of Chinese successes in fon the south bank' of the Milo their counter-attacks north-east of Changsha continue to be featured in Japanese Defeated the Chinese press here today.
"The Chansha correspondent of the Chungking, Oct. omciat *Central News Agency" soars With the exception of a small de-to poetic heights when, telegraphing tachment of Japanese troops now from the Hunan capital last night, he holding out at Yingtien, on the south-stated: eastern shore of the Tungting Lake, "The blue, quiet waters of the Siang all Japanese forces south of the Milo River reflect the stability of the North River have been driven back to the Hunan front. The red leaves in the north tank, according to Chinese autumn hills seem to smile over the dispatches received here today. victory of the Chinese army, while "The defeat of the Japanese in the the silence of Changsha is only broken Changsha battle;" these dispatches by the occasional ringing of old claim, "is the worst hitherto suffered by the Japanese in the present. war"
Changsha May Be Ignored "To date, 80,000 Japanese are report-fed to have been killed. More than Shanghai, Oct. 5.
(0000 dead bodies are said to have Japanese troops in north Hunan been left behind on the field, which may or may not enter Changsha," the Japanese, "in their hasty retreat, a Japanese army spokesman said were "unable to carry away yesterday afternoon.
'Declaring that the objective of 'Chinese forees, the dispatches con. the Japanese offensive east of clude, are at present attacking Ping-'Tungting Lake was unrevealable, kiang' and Tungeheng. the. spokesman hinted that Japanese troops may give the provincial capl-Kiangs! Operations tala wide" berth. He also Japanese forces in north-western xested that the Japanese - offensive Kiangsi who attempted to. advance might be continued ome in into Hunan via Hslushul and Tungku direction," to Join forces with a Japanese column Questioned regarding the cryptic at Pingkiang, are at present surround remark © concerning Changsha, the Chinese troops in. the moun-spokesman recalled that a Chinese tains between Hsiushul and Tungku, Spokesman declared that "Changsha according to a Chinese dispatch re-"no Tonger has any military value, ceived here today.
The Japenese command may gree with the Chinese command Chinese troops yesterday afternoon Dut that decision rests with the recaptured Pingkiang, a strategic city high stam" offers," the spokesman on the highway near the border bet-"However," it may be safely tween Hunan and Hupeh, according to field that one of the objectives of 9 communique issued here today by the Hunan operations consisted of
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