The ce-ordinated operations were carried out as a brilliant prelude to the coming observance of the 2,800th anniversary of the founding of the Japanese Empire.
Referring again to the' Lanchow raids, the spokesman stated that they constituted the largest mass raids since the beginning of the hostilities, e the both as to the number of planes employed and the intensity of the attack.
The so-called winter offensive of the Chinese forces was definitely foiled, added the spokesman, on various fronís and should prove a telling weakness of Chinese resistance in the future.
Part of the Chinese winter offend sive, the naval spokesman interjected, was directed against the Yangtze, particularly between Anking and Kiukiang. In some instances the Chinese did attack in considerable numbers and with intensity, but all were repulsed.
He denied the Chungking report that an average of two Japanese ships d been sunk daily and asked cor-dents to refer to officers of foreign men-of-war, which now were Proceeding downstream—they- would have noted wrecks had such losses been suffered, he concluded.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.