The Japanese in their efforts to obtain a footing on the mainland towards Chuanchow and Foochow are reported to have done some hard fighting recently. One attempt was made and frustrated at a place called Ohtow. Then a period elapsed with only sporadic shelling of Sensoo from the military headquarters at Amoy. Last week another attempt was said to have been made and the Japanese troops were said not only to have landed, but to have penetrated and taken the city of Tongan which lies en route to Chuanchow. The Japanese have denied that any fighting or any attack ever took place, but lorryloads of dead Japanese soldiers were seen by many people approaching Amoy and their hospitals contain many wounded soldiers. Something did occur.
The story from Chinese sources is given as it was narrated from sources that ought to be reliable but may be prejudiced. It may not be all true but that it does contain some truth is unquestionable, and also it also seems true that the Japanese were outwitted and deceived by their own bandit friends and spies; by the men that they say they came to destroy but whom they persistently employ.
The bandit chief, Tan Pwai-geok, was a notorious character and criminal, operating a nefarious calling in the Tongan district. He had a large band of rascals round him, but they had all become good, recently, and joined the Chinese army as guerilla. An old member of this bandit gang, named Qng Peck-tong, was in Amoy at the time of the city was taken and was employed by the Japanese to act as go-between between the bandit chief and the local powers. They are said to have offered $60,000 if Tan Pwai-geok would assist their landing and create a diversion and trouble in the districts round Tongan and Chuanchow when they made their descent upon the coast.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.