Evening star., 1938-03-22
SEES JAPANESE DEFEAT.
Gen. Yu Reports Isolation of Many
Invaders in Central China.


WITH THE CHINESE RED ARMY
IN HOPEH PROVINCE, NORTH
CHINA. March % P).-Chinas red
army commander. Yu Cheng-tsao
believes the japanese Army is nearer
defeat than at any time since the
oriental war began a little more than
eight months ago (July y.
Guerrilla marches. the red army
general related at his headquarters
here in Central Hopeh far behind
japanese lines. have isolated large
forces of japanese battling toward the
Yellow River on the Central China
front.
Their communications cut. transport
trains wiped out, many of their small
railway station garrisons annihilated,
and their only food supply in some
cases reaching them by airplane, many
japanese troops are in a precarious
position, Yu said.
10000 japanese Isolated.
Among high lights of the situation
of the japanese, as pictured by Yu,
we're these:
An army of 10000 japanese in
Southern Shansi has been isolated
from its supply bases.
Red guerrillas scored five successes
In recent days in attacks along the
Peiping- -Hankow Railway, wiping out
small station garrisons.
Chinese tactics forced the japanese
to abandon IS miles of the Peiping-
Hankow Railway north of the Yel-
low River.
Three transport columns vending
their way through tortuous mountain
trails to reach the japanese beleaguered
in Southern Shansi were annihilated
by Chinese snipers, and for six days
the japanese command resorted to
ai.planes to feed the isolated army.
Thirty thousand Red Chinese SOL
diers lay across the communication
lines of this army eastward from the
Peiping- -Hankow Railroad, he said,
while troops of Gen. Chang Kai-shek
cut another railway in Shansi, leav-
ing the japanese completely isolated.
Meanwhile, Gen. Chiang's armies
crossed the Yellow River northward in
four places. according to Yu's reports.
Three victories in two days in South
ern Shansi below Taiyuan resulted in
100 japanese dead, while the Chinese
lost but 200, Yu said.
The position of the japanese in
Shansi was made worse by the vigor-
Gus battle going on in Shantung Prov
ince, at the east end of the Yellow
River front, since Japanese command
for their threatened right wing.
The series of successes scored along
the Peiping- -Hankow Railway were re-
counted as follows:
Sixty japanese found burning viii
lagos were killed 10 miles west of
Paoting on March TO-
A Hsinlo garrison of 40 Japanese
was wiped out March IA.
A garrison of 80 japanese was an
nihilated and the station captured at
Mingyuehtien March l6.
140 Cavalrymen Killed.
At Chaoho, $50 miles south of
Peiping on the railway, aforce of 14o
Japanese cavalrymen was surrounded
and killed and three cannon taken or
March IT,
On March 18 a three day battle
ended at Kaoyang, 80 miles south of
Peiping, with 80 japanese killed and
$50 wounded.
At Wachi, 100 miles south O.
Peiping. japanese garrison of 300
was attacked and l20 were killed ane
wounded on March 49,
Yu said the average casualties on
each of these raids was five Chinese
Reports reaching Peiping from resi-
dents of Shihchiangcuang said three
japanese hospital trains arrived there
on the nights of March 18 and 10.
All foreign missionaries have beer
denied permission by japanese to entel
Shansi Province. and travellers coming
out Of the province said they were
cautioned by japanese to keep you,
mouths shut"
BLOODY BATTLE RACES.