The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-02-13
SOvIET-JAPANESE
SECRET TREATY
CHARGE HURLED
Invaders Gain Objective in
Desperate Battle on
WooSung Front.
AlRPLANES RAIN BOMBS
Allied Ministers Resume
Farley, in Effort to
Halt Conflict.
By United Press

By Ohtteu PRESS
SHANGHAI, Feb. 13.-The Jap
anese trapped Chinese defenders of
Woosung village today when they
crossed a branch of Woosung creek
and carried Chinese positions 700
yards northwest of the village in
sharp fighting.
The battle began at noon. The
attacking force crossed the creek
at 3 p. m. Il a. m central time).
The maneuver followed a two
hour aerial bombardment, and the
objective was accomplished with
only two japanese wounded.
The japanese succeeded in bridg-
ing the creek during the morning
First Chinese Setback
1t was the first major Chinese
setback in two weeks of fighting.
The maneuver which isolated the
Chinese forces defending the vii
lage, cut them off from the garrison
at the forts, thereby weakening the
whole Chinese position in the Woo
sung area.
The Japanese airplanes and war
ships rained bombs and shells over
the Chinese lines in a roaring bar
rage under which the infantrymen
trotted across the pontoons and
over the fat lands in a compelling
advance which routed the Chinese.
The sporadic fighting in Chapel
began at dawn, SCATTERING the
silence of another calm night
broken only by the occasional bark
Of Snipers rifle.
The aerial attack was not terrific
and the war-weary city went in
blase unconcern about its business,
disturbed only occasionally by dis
tant explosion, serving to remind
cynical Americans, British, and
other foreigners that the danger to
the settlement had not passed.
Grenade Tossed Into Hotel
There was some excitement at
$3.50 a. m. when Sniper threw a
hand grenade into the Asumi hotel,
a Japanese inn, on Seward road, in
the settlement. It did little dam
age. No casualties were reported.
At 900 a. m. two hand grenadeS
fell in the compound of the Japa-
nese consulate-general, just back of
the American, on Whangpoo road.
The sniper escaped.
Nelson T. johnson, United States
minister, expected to meet Mamoru
Shigemitsu, the japanese minister,
during the day to continue the con-
certed peace efforts being led by
America, Great Britain and France.
johnson and Sir Miles Lampson,
British minister, conferred with the
Japanese and Chinese separately.
They failed to reach any agree
ment for new, prolonged truce.
Chinese Repeat Demand
The Chinese continued to hold
out against the conditions stipulated
by the japanese as their only basis
for ceasing hostilities; namely, that
the Chinese, forces withdraw fifteen
or twenty miles from Shanghai to
prevent further clashes.
The Chinese maintain that
Shanghai, or that part of it out
side the foreign settlements, is their
country and that if anybody is to
withdraw to prevent clashes it
should be the Japanese.
There we're fresh reports that
Japanese reinforcements up to as
many as 10000 soldiers were about
to land in the war zone to take up
the long expected decisive Of
fensive'' against the Chinese.
The Chinese still held their
original positions at every point
along the entire front from here to
Woosung, eighteen miles distant.