Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1938-05-18
CHINESE RETARD
SUCH0W ATTACK
Capture of Railway Junction
More Difficult Than Foes
Expected.
BACKGROUND

BACKGROUND
After campaign lasting fue
months Japanese appear IN posi-
ton to complete conquest OF Gen.
trail China. linking North China
and Ydn0tze Valley regions already
held. Japanese haze cut strategic
Lun1hat RdtltDdy east and ioest OF
their objective city, and are clos
ing In on junction from all sides.
BY the Associated Press.
SHANGHAI, May 1s.-Desperate
Chinese resistance held Japanese
assault units well away from the walls
Of battered, strategic Suchow tonight,
while Chinese reported other japanese
forces In the Tangshan sector, so
miles west Of Suchow, had been
thrown back in q significant action.
A Chinese communique said the de-
tenders of vital Lunghai Railway
had launched counter-onensive
south of Tangshan and driven q
Japanese column there almost back
to Yungcheng, in Honan Province.
I'm Hankow Chinese Army
spokesman declared this drive had
broken the spearhead Of the
Japanese advance toward the
Lunghai Railway from the south"
He asserted Chinese lines still
were fundamentally unbroken'
and Chinese morale remains ex-
cellent.')
Capture Proves Difficult.
japanese artillery continued to shell
Suchows west wall and gates. but in
dications increased that capture OF the
city, nerve center of the far-flung
Central China battlefront, was proving
more difficult than previous jubilant
japanese reports had predicted.
A Japanese infantry column, ad-
vancing under cover of artillery fire,
reported capture Of Changchwang, q
village 4 miles from Suchows west
gate, and that appeared to be the near
est point yet reached by the besiegers.
Suchow. junction Of the Lunghai
and TIentsin-Pukow Railways, ap-
peared still strongly held in spite of
Japanese reports Of a general Chinese
retreat.
Consular reports indicated that up
to May IS all Americans in Suchow
were safe in spite of heavy Japanese
air commandments.
North and south of the Lunghai
Corridor the japanese reported gains.
One column striking through South
western Shantung toward Kweiteh. on
the railway 100 miles west of Suchow,
was said to have taken the important
town of Peihsien. Suhsien, south Of
Suchow on the Tientsin-Pukow line,
was reported completely occupied
Japanese, anticipating the early fall
of Suchow. indicated Kweiteh would
be the next objective of their pincer
tactics. Chinese admitted Japanese
cavalry and mechanical units had
raided the Lunghai Corridor between
Suchow and Kweiteh, but asserted
these were merely attempts to distract
Chinese attention from defense of
Suchow and that they were repulsed
easily.
Heavy Withdrawals Reported.
Earlier japanese reports said all
Generalissimo Chang Kai-shek's GEN.
trail government troops had been with
drawn from Suchow
The crack government troops, the
japanese reported, were removed from
Suchow before the invaders cut the
Lunghai Railway and encircled the
city
These forces were said to be moving
into position around Kweiteh and
Kaifeng, west Of the important juno
ton of the Lnnghai and Tientsin-Pu-
kow Railways, preparing for attacks
there.
1t was reported, however. that about
100000 Chinese troops. mostly pro-
vincials, were trapped in the Japanese
ring about Suchow with many trying
to escape.
Thousands of soldiers and civilians
were said to have left the city by the
east gate, pouring through the coun-
tryside to avoid the japanese columns
closing in on all sides.
Emphasizing the bitterness Of the
fighting for the important rail juno
ton, Japanese forces received new
orders that no prisoners are to be
taken so as to shorten the wars dura-
ton"