Spokesman With regard to reports emanating from Peiping to the effect that an sufi-American movement was making itself felt in North-China, ihe man at yesterday's press conrence said that the report was evidently based on one side of the issue only and centered around a minor incident concerning which negotiations are now taking place in Sintslan.
In en endeavour by the local authorities to improve the plans of the city, a road was drawn through the locality and at one point partly cut through the property of an American missionary institution, the spokesman added.
"As is the practice in cases of this nature," the spokesman continued, "expropriation measures were taken and the Mission in question was offered a reasonable amount in consideration of their giving up the land. There still is a dispute regarding the price of the land, but the Japanese authorities do not! interpret this as an anti-American or anti-Missionary movement."
In referring to the Japanese successes in China since October 25, 1938 when Hankow was occupied, the military spokesman said that there were two major achievements, one in northwest Hupeh and one in north-east Hunan. In these two operations, the spokesman added, the number of Chinese effectives put out of combat speaks for itself as does the fact that the foundation for any organized or concerted action on the part of the Chinese has been made impossible. He strongly emphasized that Nanchang was still in Japanese hands notwithstanding Chinese reports to the contrary.
The spokesman also admitted that a certain amount of misleading information must be given out s part of general offensives and military, such misleading information has proved satisfactory in inflicting heavy losses on the enemy.
He admitted that in certain sectors, the Japanese forces had voluntarily withdrawn according to pre-arranged plans,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.