Evening star., 1937-12-12
AMERICANS FACE
TRAP IN NANK|NG
Is Still Within Capital as
Japanese March to En-
CirCIement.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated treSS.
SHANGHAI, Dec. IL Sunday
Three japanese columns, heavy siege
guns and aerial bombers pounded
Marking today as other Japanese
forces threatened complete encircle-
ment Of China's abandoned capital.
A Japanese thrust downstream
along the Yangtze imperiled the last
avenue of escape from Nanking, where
Is Americans remained inside the
walls.
Chinese, early today, said the Japa-
nese onslaught was being intensified,
literally pouring STEEL into battered
Marking.
One invading column was reported
only 10 miles from Pukow, railhead
opposite Marking. Capture OF Pukow
would snap shut the Marking trap.
: Wuhu, strategic Yangtze River port.
go miles above Marking, already was
in japanese hands, as was TAPPING,
midway to the capital
Chinese Resistance Stubborn.
As the japanese military machine
tightened its grip, stubborn Chinese
resistance apparently prevented the
Japanese from extending the foot
hold gained within the city walls
Friday.
British dispatches from Hankow re-
ported Gen. Tang Seng-chi, comman-
der of Markings defense, admitted
loss of the main southeastern gate,
Kuanghuamen, but declared the in
Vaders were unable to push further
inside the thick walls.
He reiterated China's determine
tion to defend the city to the bitter
end.
= thanking dispatches late Fri
day said the stout walls had not
been preached. Two anchored bal
looms apparently were getting the
artillery range, however, and sew
eral japanese shells crashed near
the main eastern gate. Chinese
answered the attack with trench
mortars, field guns and machine
gunS.)
..~ IA Aboard Gunboat.
In addition to the Is Americans
still within Marking, IA others were
aboard the gunboat Panay anchored
on the Yangtze and 3 on Standard
OIL tanker, still in the danger zone.
Hankow reports said Z American!
had evacuated recently captured
Wuhu, indicating that II still wert
in that river port.
8 Chinese sources said artillery NORTH
Of Annoy, southern port across from
Japanese owned Formosa, sank 8
Japanese destroyer while it was Gov
ering an unsuccessful attempt to lane
Japanese marines
A. Japanese shells poured into Nan
kings defenses several large fire!
started. A large part of Hsiakwan
the waterfront area outside the walls
was in flames. The British-ownet
Bridge House, oldest foreign hotel IL
Marking, was destroyed.
Just across the river, in Pukow, tn,
water front was alight with burning
wharves and warehouses.
Un Peiping informed Chimes,
sources forecast imminent restoration
OF the pre-Nationalist Peking govern
ment. q regime that preceded estab'
lishment of a new government Al
Nanking in 1928 under Chang Kai.
shek,)
Tanks Lead Assault.
Tanks led the Japanese assault or
Markings walls as attacks convergec
from all land sides of the city. Chi.
1nese sources said the defenders still
were putting up stiff resistance neal
Purple Mountain, east of the city
Japanese said they captured tn.
mountain stronghold Friday.
Shanghai residents speculated or
the next Japanese move once Nankini
Is captured. Some foresaw q push
farther into the interior aiming a
Hankow, one of the three cities wher'
the Chinese government has fled.
Others believed the great Soutl
China cities, Canton, Soochow ant
Annoy, would be attacked.