Evening star., 1937-10-05
FIRE Of JAPANESE
FORCES j. s. UNIT
TO SHIFT POSITION
Rain of ShrapneI in Shang.
hal Area Causes Marines
to Be Moved.
POSTS ARE REOCCUPIED
AS BOMBARDMENT ENDS
Chinese Machine Guns Now Down
Foes in Close Fighting-Tokio
Claims Air Mastery.
8y the Associa ted Press.

8y the Associated Press.
SHANGHAI, October 5.-Unted
States Marines were sprayed with
ehrapnel today and forced to evacuate
their defense outposts along the north
ern boundary of the International
Settlement when Japanese warplanes
rained Is bombs on one of China's
largest -four mills just across the 40
yard wide Soochow Creek.
The Japanese claimed to have driven
China's warplanes from the air. a
spokesman asserting that some 300
Chinese fighting craft had been de-
stroyed in the three months of un-
declared war. The japanese drive to
crack the Chinese defense positions in
the Chapel sector was halted on land,
however, and Chinese machine guns
moved down Japanese marines like
ten pins.
AS the battle ragged just across the
harrow creek from the American posi-
lions, Brig. Gen. John c. Beaumont,
ordered his marines to withdraw tenn
porarily out Of the line of fire.
Five Of japanese Positions Reoccupied.
The Marines reoccupied their posi-
Hons two hours later. Gen. Beaumont
explained the withdrawal was ordered
because the japanese bombardment
did not endanger the International
settlement and therefore it was need
hess to risk American lives in holding
che endangered outposts.
we're no farther apart than 10 yards
at many points of the line through
the devastated Chinese city. The
Pantheon Theater was changed into a
no-man's land with Japanese sand bag
barricades at the back door and
Chinese at the front door.
japanese bombers dumped load after
load on the area and in rapid success
sion landed three direct hits on
. badly battered ruin.
As the bitter days fighting for the
environs of Shanghai ended in ap-
parent stalemate, Japanese warplanes
turned their bombardment at sunset
10 the Pootung industrial area across
the Whangpoo River from the Shang-
hal Bund while the flames from the
big cotton warehouses they had just
nred in the Chapel sector licked sky
ward.
Destroyer to Remain.
Rear Admiral Harry E. Yarnell,
commander Of the United States
Asiatic Fleet, decided today to keep
an American destroyer squadron at
Chefoo pending the outcome of
Chinese threats to blow up the break
water in the harbor if japanese at
tempt to land there. If the Chinese
attempt to carry out their plan, it
was planned that the destroyers, shep-
herded by the mother ship Black
hawk, would move three or four miles
out to sea.
A Japanese naval spokesman claimed
today that II of China's 80 Yangtze
Varships off Kianyin forts had been
decommissioned or seriously damaged
by Japanese bombers since opening
Of hostilities. They said the dam
aged ships were 2350-ton cruiser
and two of 2,40O tons each.
The Japanese said, however, that
agreement had been reached with
the Chinese customs inspector general
that customs cutters will not be at
tackled henceforth.
The Canton (South China)- Daily
Bun reported today four japanese
cruisers and nine destroyers bonn
barded the Boccatigris forts for an
hour yesterday morning, that the forts
scored six direct hits in return fire
and compelled the raiders to with
draw. The forts were not damaged.
Foreign observers were inclined to
credit the Japanese claims of mastery
Of the air. For some time only one
Chinese plane has been observed in
the Shanghai area and there have
been only occasional reports of aerial
combat elsewhere.
In the hotly-contested land battle
Tor the Chapel and North Station "A.
the northern fringes of the InternA-
tional Settlement however, the Jap
anese admitted they were baked by
the Chinese resistance.
The ferocious cat-and-doR fights
(See SHANGHAI, Page A-3)