Evening star., 1938-10-21
BY the Associated Press,


Chidng's armies near Hankow.
BY the Associated Press.
CANTON, Oct. 2l.-A japanese tank
corps rumbled into Canton this after
noon. scoring one Of the most astound-
ing victories of the Chinese Japanese
war.
The tanks were followed by detach-
ments OF the South China expeditionary
force, which just 10 days ago landed
on the shores of Bias Bay. 125 miles
southeast Of the South China
metropolis.
Shortly after noon the first tanks
approached the Kwangtung provincial
capital from the north. Two hours
later they were rumbling down the
east bund.
Apparently they had met no opposi.
ton from the hundreds of thousands
OF provincial troops that had been
massed north and east of Canton to
check the invasion Of the estimated
1000 japanese troops.
Army Arrives in Trucks.
In the wake of the tank corps came
q long line of trucks bearing japanese
infantrymen.
Before the japanese arrived the
Chinese blew up the 100000 Pearl
River Bridge and blasted important
utilities plants and factories with land
mines, applying the "scorched earth
and broken tile policy with which
Cnlnese forces have been falling back
since the Chinese-Japanese War start.
ed July Z. 1887.
Large fires were visible in some sec
tions OF the metropolis. The 1000, 600
civilian population of Canton proper
had been reduced to an estimated
$4,000 by the mass exodus of non.
comoatants since the South China
invasion started last week.
The entrance Of the Japanese came
as complete surprise. although the
blasting OF the Pearl River Bridge
mad served as . warning that the in.
vaders were approaching in their
back door" campaign.
Battle Was Expected.
1t seemed either that the stropR.
mechanized Japanese force had clev.
erly sidestepped Chinese defenses or
that the Chinese had decided not to
oppose their mechanically superior but
numerically inferior foe.
There had been strong indications
that China's Kwanetung forces would
wage last-ditch battle for the city.
Hundreds were slain last Friday and
SATURDAY. uyhon ha T.
spearing north from Bias Bay to gain
a "back-door' foothold, swept through
Waichow.
Trenches had been dug and barri-
cades thrown up in the Canton streets.
Intermittent shellfire could be heard
tonight. indicating that there still
might be some flanking resistance on
the outskirts of the city.
High Government officials had fed
to Yungyun, 90 miles north of Canton.
apparently having skirted the Japanese
advance from the north.
The almost complete lack of re-
sistance amazed foreign military OBJ
servers They had expected the
Chinese to put up stiff fight at Ger
WILL Va SoAiA1CO ENSlIiOIls AlOi I'll VI JI1C
city, especially in the vicinity Of White
Cloud Mountain
But the Japanese appeared to have
taken the metropolis almost without
the firing Of shot
Compared to the teeming city of two
weeks ago. Canton tonight was vir-
tually deserted by civilians. Where it
had been estimated that 100000 per-
sons were still in the city yesterday,
the population tonight was estimated
at half that figure. There was no
disorder
More Troops Expected.
Additional japanese forces were ex-
pected to arrive soon from the East,
along the Canton-Kowloon Railway
from Sheklung. unless Chinese in that
(See CHINA, Page A-5.)