Evening star., 1932-03-02
CHINESE FALL BACK;
PEACE HOPES DIM
Japanese Call Retreat 'Rout'
but Defenders Claim 1t Is
Tactical Move.
Continued From First Page)

! tney saio' was raploiy turning lnto
Chinese military officials. however,
said 1t was a tactical retreat" and |
that they planned to establish new
defense lines at NanZiang, 10 miles |
west, and renew the battle there.
They were falling back, they said, /
to protect their communications, which |
were endangered by the landing OF a
large force of japanese troops at
Liuho, 30 miles up the Yangtze River /
These troops Immediately began drive |
southwark.
Although it was impossible to de- |
termine the number of Chinese troops |
participating in the retreat, observers
here estimated there were 10000 OF
them. There were additional Chinese
troops two miles west, but these were
not falling back, the Chinese said.
The japanese freShened by the addi- |
tion of thousands of reinforcements |
during the last two or three days, fol-
lowed up their advantage closely. From
Liuho on the south bank OF the
Yangtze, the Japanese line formed a |
giant arc bulging westward and ending
in the vicinity of Chapel adjacent to
the Shanghai International settlement.
This long line, a polished, modern war
machine crept slowly westward tonlght
on the heels of the Chinese.
The japanese airplanes continued to |
speed the retreating Chinese, as did the |
infantrymen and machine gunners, but |
the artillery remained behind.
Chapel which has been reduced to |
q mass of wreckage since the hostllltles |
began, was deserted by the Chinese by
o'clock tonight. A number of huge !
fires roared in the battered city, de-
nolishing whatever was left. The
Chinese rear guard kept up running
fire with the Japanese as the army
withdrew.
Soldiers and civilians alike jammed
the borders of the International Set
tlement along Soochow Greek in the
first crush of the retreat, but the mass
of humanity soon dwindled and disap-
peared westward.
Danger Is Lessened.
Following the departure of the
Chinese. the hostilities which have
threatened the very existence of
Shanghai for five weeks died down
considerably. Some observers predicted
the retreat would bring an end to the
fighting, but the Chinese insisted that
the battle would be renewed. The i'm
mediate danger to the International
Settlement from the huge forces sur
rounding it was at least temporarily
lessened.
The japanese said they captured a
large Chinese field arsenal at Hsukiang,
north of Tachang, and that their SOL
diers were now proceeding along the
Shanghai Railway over long
j front. They already had occupied
Chenju, the former Chinese head
qrarters, they said.
Reports that the Chinese troops were
looting and burning as they retreated
were regarded here as without founda-
tion.
The soldiers seerred to be in very
good spirits as they s%ean the back
ward movement, travelling on foot and
IN motor trucks after they were a few
miles out of Shanghai
The Chinese also began evacuating
Nantao, at the southern extremity of
Shanghai. AS their westward retreat
Began from there, thousands of them
tried to enter the French concession,
Immediately adjoining Mantao, and the
French were forced to increase their
already heavy border guards and armed
patrols. The withdrawal from Chapel
resulted in terrific crush of Chinese
soldiers along the borders of the In
ternational Settlement, and the settle
ment defense forces destroyed several
bridges over Soochow Creek to stop the
press of Chinese.
Two Stations Demolished.
Chinese military advices said Japa-
nese airplanes continued late this aft
ernoon bomb attack begun earlier in
the day on the hanghai-Nanking Rail-
way in the vicinity of KunShan and
also at Nanziang, 10 miles from Shang-
hai IN an attempt to cut off communi-
cations between Shanghai and Man.
king. One of the chief targets for the
bombs was large steel railway bridge
near Kunshan. The stations at Kun
shan and NanZian were demolished.
The japanese clamped on the strict
est prohibition against observations
along the southern and eastern borders
OF Chapel within HongKew, making it
practically impossible to determine ac-
curately what was going on. there. Ma
cnlne guns continued TO rattle unceas-
lngly IN Chapel, however, and this was
taken as an indication that the Chi |
nese were putting up stiff fight The |
japanese rushed 18 trucKIoads of am
munltion into the Chapel lines at $3.50 !
pm.
The japanese said the Chinese lost !
1900 men killed, while their losses were |
only &C.
On the northern end Of the line the |
Chnese were pushed back toward |
ChenJu. Twenty miles 10 the north |
1iuho, where Japanese flyers rained |
pomps on chinese troops who were at |
tempting to block the landing of thou
SANDS OF japanese reintorcementS.
Artillery Shakes City.
Japanese Spearhead thrust resulted |
IN the occupation of Tachang. The |
superiority OF their war machines and |
men, they sad, was feIt more keenly |
with every blow they struck. They had !
crushed the Chinese defenses on the |
kiangwan line, they said Toward |
Chapel the japanese lines bent east
ward as the Chinese disputed every !
inch of ground they lost
The assault on the Kiangwan line
early today grew into laundering
duel OF artillery fire which iarred the
whole city. In midforencon large
number of bombing and pursuit planes. |
the former loaced with 25O-pound
bombs, were warmed up on the border
OF the International Settlement and
took of westward. These planes ap-
parently went to Kunshan and began
the bomb onslaught on the railway
there.
Chapel was blazing inferno during
the morning as flames devoured huge
groups of shattered buildings The
bombardment the battered city un-
derwent during the night was the worst
It has experienced thus far
Observers said in the event the jap
,anese continued westward while the
army near Liuho advanced to th3 south,
o great enveloping movement would re-
suit, threatening the Chinese rear
The japanese succeeded in landing a
force OF approximately 10000 men in
the vicinity of Liuho yesterday. Al
though communications with Liuho
were DOOR it was indicated the japanese
forces were landed on the south bank
OF the Yangtze and began Immediately
to fight their way southwark. Their
object was believed IN inn with the