The Bismarck tribune., 1931-12-30
JAPANESE ARMY IS
PUSHING ADVANCE
ALONG WIDE FRONT
Two Columns Are Converqinq
on KoWpangtze, important
Railway Center
TAHUSAN FALLS TO JAPS
Road to important City Along
Peiping-Mukden Railway
Line Is Wide Open
(By the Associated Press)

My SNC iASoONl0ACu 1887
China's troops were in full retrea,
southwark from Chinchow toward
the great wall of China Wednesday
while two converging Japanese COL
umns pressed toward Kowpangtze
preparing to swing down into the
walled city which Marshal Chang
Hsueh-Liang has evacuated.
The Japanese division advancing
southwark from Hsinmintun cap
tured the town of Tahushan We'd
nesday afternoon and the force NOV
ing west from the direction of Ying-
kow pressed on toward the junction
at Kowpangtze. From there the
way to Chinchow down the Peip-
ing-Mukden railway was wide open
and it appeared the drive on Chin
chow was in full swing.
A Kuomin (Chinese) News Agency
dispatch from Peiping said japanese
planes had bombed Kowpangtze, in
flicting heavy casualties.
AS the retreat progressed the gov
ernment at Marking debated the new
situation and in Tokyo reports cir.
culated that Chang Hsueh-Liane
had ordered the withdrawal from
Chinchow "under the advice of q
certain country" which was not
named in the dispatches.
Marshal Chang's headquarters at
Peiping said the retreat was part
of a prearranged plan Of defense
and that although most of the armed
forces already had started south
from the Chinchow area the pro-
visional government would remain
there protected by a garrison.
General Kamura'S brigade, advanc-
ing westward from Hsinmintun, en-
tered Tahushan at 2:33 ,. m. We'd
nesday.
A powerful contingent Of General
lannon's division, proceeding north
ward from Panshan in armored
trains, occupied strategic positions
commanding Kowpangtze at 6 p. N.
The advance from Hsinmintun be-
gan early Wednesday morning.
Move In Motor Trucks
One regiment moved in motor
trucks and the other, which entrain-
ed at Mukden, continued on by train
from Hsinmintun at a. m.
The fact the vanguard was using
motor trucks was taken to indicate
the Japanese expected little re-
sistance. A large Chinese concentra-
ton recently reported at Paichipu IL
said now to be mostly withdrawn.
The mission or destination of the
brigade General Kamura Is COM
manding was not stated but the be-
lief was expressed here it Is not like
ly to halt before the Chinchow re-
gion is cleared of Chinese.
Nine trains loaded with japanese
troops went from Mukden to Hsin-
| mintun Wednesday morning. All reg
ular services on the Peiping -Mukden
railway have been halted. as well
as all railway telephone and telegraph
service.
| A number of trainloadS of Chinese
troops moved southwark Wednesday
toward Lanshan, inside the great wall
and other Chinese forces to the east
of Chinchow were withdrawing rapid
ly westward
The Chinese populace at Kow-
! pangtZe was In the greatest cOnIu-
sion. Everybody was attempting to
crowd on the already jammed south
bound trains.
Travellers reaching Chinchow from
Mukden reported their train was de-
layed for long periods at q number
of stations while japanese soldiers
searched hundreds Of Chinese civil
ians. Women, as well as men. IN
many cases, they said, were forced TO
remove all their heavy layers of vim
ter clothing as the search proceeded.
The few foreigners who were on the
train said that at Hsinmin q thor
ough search was conducted by the
japanese. They themselves were
eyed suspiciously but none except
Chinese were molested.