Evening star., 1932-11-02
Invading Forces Drive From
North and West Toward
Strategic City.
TWO FIERCE BATTLES
LEAD TO HEAVY LOSSES
Manchukuo Troops Revolt and
Join Remnants of Gen.
Mas Army.
BY JAMES A MILLS,
Associated Press Staff Correspondent.

Associated PreSS otdu Correspondent.
HARDIN, Manchuria, November q
The Japanese military position In the
northern half Of Manchuria was men,
aced today by Chinese wedge aimed
from north and west at the strategic
city of TsitSihar.
The operation of the wedge was noted
in japanese military reports disclosing
that two fierce battles had been fought
about 100 miles north of Tsitsihar and
that Chinese forces, already in control
of Northwestern Manchuria, were mass
ing troops along the western end OF
the Chinese Eastern Railway.
The two battles were fought Sunday
and Monday between strong japanese
reinforcements and Chinese irregulars
whose presence in the Tsitsihar area
had drawn the japanese troops there.
80 Japanese Soldiers Slain.
The Japanese claimed victory in both
engagements, but at the cost of SO
killed and Al wounded. They said the
Chinese dead and injured numbered
at least 1000.
The danger in the situation lay in the
fact Manchukuo troops in the north had
revolted to aid the Chinese and that
further rebellion in the Manchukuo
ranks was occurring.
Complicating this thrust from the
north was the threat from Gen. Su
Ping-Wen and his Chinese irregulars
from the northwest, who for month
had been in control Of the city OF Man
chuli, along the Soviet border.
Gen. Sus chief lieutenant, Chang
Tlen-Chu, was extending this control
today SoutheaStWard toward TSltSlhar,
along the Chinese Eastern Railway. He
continually haraSsed the japanese gar
rison at Fulaerchi.
Immediate attention was directed to
the north, however, where the newest
revolt occurred.
Eight Thousand Chinese Engaged.
Two battles were fought at Taianchen
and Laha, near the ChineSe-controlled
branch railway out of Tsitsihar. The
japanese said the Chinese irregulars,
including revolving Manchukuo troops,
recently attacked these two isolated
japanese garrison points.
The Chinese divided their 5000 troops
evenly and besieged the japanese many
days until the reinforcements arrived
Sunday, and drove back the attackers.
The Chinese were said to be led by the
remnants of Gen. Ma Chan Shans S
army, which held the japanese off Tsit-
sihar so long in September, 1881. The
japanese announced they had slain
Gen. Ma recently. The Ma troops. how
ever have been considerably reinforced
and are armed with mortars and ma
chine guns. Their base also lies against
the Soviet border at Taheiho.
Just to the south of Taianchen and
Laha, the Manchukuo general, Pu-Ping
Shan, has revolted with his garrison at
Paichuan. His 5000 troops were threat
ening to reinforce the irregulars and
return to the attack. This move would
threaten Koshan. the largest of these
branch railway towns. and the end OF
the line.
The japanese not only were counter
ing the military wedge with further
troops, but were planning other strategic
moves. One of them was an airplane
expedition to the Soviet border in the
Manchuli area, in an effort to free
Japanese hostages held in that city by
Gen. Su.
Gen. Su, through the good offices OF
Soviet Russia, recently released half the
300 japanese held in Manchuli.
The airplane expedition will stop at
Machevskaya, in Soviet Russia, and ne
gotiate for the release of the remaining
japanese and attempt to alter the at
titude OF the Chinese general toward
Manchukuo