Hongkong, Jan. 23. COLD wave was sweeping over El 1a, forcing the mercury below zero in many places, according to. telegrams from various interior towns today.
The cold spell in Changsha was described as the most severe in 20 years, The city's water pipes were frozen.
In Kweilin and Shiukwan the temperature dropped to the freezing point.
Mixed drizzle and snow fell in Shiukwan yesterday.
The weather was coldest in Lanchow, where the mercury dipped to eight degrees below zero, A blinding snowstorm was raging there.
Soldiers and civilians already suffering from shortage of food and commodities were said to be badly in need of clothing.
The cold was said to be sapping the morale and fighting power of guerilla units, In Kwangtung province guerilla corps jete reported to be demanding that district magistrates supply military clothes. Having no other funds available, district authorities were using money sent by overseas Chinese for war refugees to purchase uniforms, according to reports from Kwangtung.—Domei, Chungking, Jan, 23.
Snow slowed action on almost. all Cchinese fronts yesterday, but action fontinved at-many places, according fo reports reaching here today.
chinese troops took advantage heavy snowstorm last Friday night to frpriae the Japanese garrison at Eiteng and occupied the town after two-hour. battle In which " 100 Japanese. were. killed, the Central News Agency reported. second battle was fought when Jepanese reinforcements were rushed Torthe aren with tanks, 1 was said. Pwo tanks were disabled. during the battle and 200 Japanese. were killed, the agency claimed. During the en-lire action in the area only eight Chi-hose" privates "were' wounded, the fon thousand Japanese, were re ported to have been rushed Fnforee Japanese. garrisons onthe Tungou Railroad "In. south-western Shans, where. the "Japanese have suffered many losses, the agency re-Dorted. I was. believed. that the Fopaneso wore planning a new offend hive "In. the Lulfang Mountains between the Yellow and Fon Rivers, Thousand Japanese Over a thousand Japanese were killed and 12 tanks and armoured ears were destroyed January 19 when the Chinese forces repulsed a Japanese drive from Suihsien on Kaocheng, 20, miles north of Sulhsien, it was claimed. Kaochong is a Chinese stronghold, it was sai.
Meanwhile, Chinese gucritlas have eon increasingly more active along Japanese railways, the Central News Aueney reported." Two bridges were blown up near Tengsien on the Tientsin-Pukow Railroad in southern Shantung, At the same time 20 sec~ tions of the railway wore destroyed near Chuchow, 70 mites north-west of Pukow, it was reported.
On January 20 a Japanese military train was blown up near Kaomi on the Tsinnan-Tsingtao Railway, cons ing heavy casualties to Japanese troops botind for the eastern front, was claimed—United Press, lih Suffer Big Losses Canton, Jan, 22.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.