New Britain herald., 1928-05-05
10000 CHINESE IN DRIVE ON fSNAN
tContinued from First Page.) )
was strengthened out.
 Japan Has Free Hand

Japan Has Free Hand
 Japan virtually free hand to deal with the situation and it was believed that the fighting had strengthened the hand Of the Jap- deemed necessary.
 The Japanese command at Tsinan said that the attack by the national ists was premeditated. They as- serted that it began simultaneously at many points. that the railway had been cut to prevent the movement of endorsements and that the na- tionalists had previously issued gre nades in anticipation of street fight ing.
 The Japanese commander said the situation was apparently beyond control of Chiang kai-Shek, com- mander-in chief of the nationalists. IL was believed that his subordinates Were trying to discredit him as they did at the time of the Ranking af- fair Of March. 1927. The first ag- gressors were stated to be Hunanese troops under General Ho Yao-Ts,I and it was recalled that Hunanese Were responsible for the Nanking outrages.
 Truce Broken X truce had been reached at I 0 clock yesterday under which the Chinese were 10 withdraw from the foreign quarter but a few hours la ter this was broken indicating that matters were beyond control of the nationalist command.
 Up to that time the Japan,1e ! troops defending the foreign quar- ter 10 the west Of the walled city were known to have lost five killed and cS wounded. Lieutenant Gen cral Fukada. although unable to re- port accurately. expressed the fear that several Japapese civilians out side the defended area had been murdered by nationaiists. General Fukadas troops made a ! forced march 10 reach Tsinan be- cause the railway had been cut 1 They were called upon continuously 1 for 3G hours 10 meet continual at- tacks by enormously superior forces of Chinese.
 1 Machine Guns GsrtI. The Japanese troops Were isolated ! in two groups 10 the east and west ! of the city. IL was with great diff i culty that they repelled the infuriat : i ed nationalists by the sllillful usc of ! machine guns placed on hastily | flung up harricades Of sandbags at l Key Points. Japanese accounts Of 1 the fighting were summarized as ! follows:
 Chians kai-Shek arrived al Tsin- 1 an on tho morning of May ,. He 1 pledged the maintenance of order and demanded withdrawal of Japan csc troops. The Japanese removed 1 their barricades and withdrew the cordon around the international quarter. concentrating their soldiers at the consulate.
 | At l0:30 the next morning the na tionalistS invaded the foreign guar. ter simultaneously from severa points and seemingly by & pre-ar
 ranged plan. They footed Japanes,
 property and when the Japanese in. tervened the Chinese fired the frs
 shot to which the Japanese replied The battle continued throughout the
 day and night. the Chinese firing
 from windows and housetops. After
 a night of anxiety for the defenders
 the firing grew livelier at daybreak II ended at a. m. with the truce
 which was later broken.
 Advices reaching Washington said that although the situation around Chefoo in eastern Shantung. where
 there are several American warships was quiet anti-Japanese leaflets were appearing. These were presumed tG
 be of nationalist origin,
 These advices forecast that the Chefoo region would be the poin' 10 which large forces of defeated
 northern troops would go and sait the Japanese at Chefoo were making
 preparations accordingly.
 The northern forces were report
 cd to have scattered. some 5000 O
 them endeavoring 10 enter the wall
 cd city of Wcinsien. l"0 miles cas
 of Tsinan.
 Ro