Evening star., 1928-05-17
FOREIGN FORCES
GUARD T|ENTS|N
Concession Area Barricaded
as Northern Chinese
Draw Up Lines.
BIZ the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press
SHANGHAI. May 17.-Northern
forces were moving into position today
to battle against the Southerners threat
ening Peking as American and other
foreign troops prepared to protect their
nationls in Tientsin, fearing it would
fall into the hands Of the Nationalist.
Companies of American and British
soldiers, who were beginning their
Summer training at Slanhaikwan and
Chinwangtao. were ordered 2 return
to Tientsin. American Marines. Italian
and japanese soldiers barricaded the
exposed points In the foreign concession
area and threw walls of sand bags
about them. Other preparations for
the defense of the concessions went
forward steadily.
Two Towns Captured.
The National News Agency declares
that the Shansi troops captured Pao-
tingfu, 90 miles south of Peking. Mon
day, after which Chochow. so miles
further north. was taken in surprise
attack. The vanguard OF the Shansi
army is reported, on the same author
ity. TO have reached Changsintien, seven
u1llES SunL1lMEcl Vi EEkAAA.
On the other hand a Peking dispatcn
says that the Fengtien troops were still
holding the Paotingfu- Hokienfu- Tsang-
chow line Of defense on Tuesday.
Fighting still continues at Wangtu,
south Of Paotingfu. where the North
erners are trying to hold the Shansi
forces and Gen. Feng Yu-Hsiang S
troops.
Manchurians Plan Fight.
A dispatch to Rengo, q japanese
news agency. from Peking said the
Manchurian adherents of the northern
dictator. Marshal Chang Tso-Lin. had
decided to launch an offensive against
Gen. Feng Yu-Hsiang, southern ma
tionaiist) commander. The northern
forces choose the Peking- -Ha;lkow Rail-
way as the line Of their drive and tof
| this purpose Yang Yu-Ting, chief .;
staff under Marshal Chang, and Chang
Hsueh-Liang, the marshal's eldest son
left for Paotingfu. about 100 miles
southwest Of Peking on the HankoN
Railroad
(An earlier Toxic dbpatch said that
Gen. Feng had Intercepted northern
| troops Withdrawing toward TientSin al
Machang, 40 miles TO the south, and
| heavy fighting resulted. Apparently the
plan Of the northern command vas r.
| gather their scattered forces together
near Paotingfu, about so miles west oi
Machang, for a determined stand.)
Another Rengo dispatch from PekinR
said Gen. Wa chun-Sheng, military
governor Of Heiiungkiang Province
Manehnria. who was at Shankaikwan
at the seacoast end Of the great wall
was ordered TO withdraw toward Mug
| den.
Accede 10 Japanese Demands.
C. r.. Wang, diplomatic committee
/ man Of the Nationalist government. to-
/ day said that anti-Japanese hostilitiei
and propaganda had ceased and thai
| Chinese troops had been Withdrawn
| from the areas in Shangtung mapped
out by the japanese In their demands
The japanese chief Of stan at TsinaI
| has reported that overtures were re-
ceiyed from Chang Kai-Shek, the Ma
| flonaIiSt commander-in- -chief. sayint
| that he wished 10 confer With Gen
| Pukuda, the japanese commander II
| ghantung, regarding the Tgian incl
| dent and asking for the wave length
| Of the japanese wireless station q
| Tsinan
Gen. Fukuda replied that he woult
not negotiate by wireless and that h
would talk only with a duly authorlzet
delegate Of the Chinese chief OF stan
adding that the demands put forward
By Japan for satisfaction were unaI1sr
able.
japanese reports from Tsinan AIS
state that a cavalry division under Feng
which has achieved fame by its rapit
advances against the North in the re
cent fighting. is composed OF four Mon
golian regiments organized and tratnet
by Soviet officers The japanese sa!
that each regiment is headed by tW'
Soviet officers and has 400 emissarie
from the Eoyiets attached