Canton, Apr. 22.
China's much-publicized "April offensive" in Kwangtung has failed. This claim was made here by a Japanese army spokesman here yesterday evening who asserted that Chinese forces deployed since late last month in an attempt to recapture Canton were being gradually withdrawn by Gen. Vu Han-mou as a result of reverses suffered at the ing in conjunction with three others north-east of Tsengcheng, 60 kilometres east of Canton, had been almost annihilated" the spokesman declared.
Reviewing the developments in the military situation near Canton, the spokesman recalled that Chinese reinforcements had been brought south from the latter part of March. On April 5, Japanese scouts reported the appearance of the Chinese 57th Division in the neighbourhood of Shinhlingyu, 40 kilometres north of Canton on the Canton-Hankow Rail-areas north and east of Tseng-cheng, he continued, Chinese troops, consisting principally of the 15ist and 149th Divisions, supported by parts of the 152nd and 105th Divisions, began us for a southern advance at about the same time.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.