Evening star., 1938-06-21
10000 TO Join
|. HANK0W DEFENSE
Leaders Say Every Delay
to Japan's Drive Is Used
to Bolster Key Points.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated PreSS.
SHANGHAI, June 21-China re-
organized and strengthened Hankows
defenses today while Japan's offen-
sive against the temporary capital re-
mained stuck in the mud by the
spreading flood Of the Yellow River.
Every days delay to the japanese,
the Chinese high command said, has
been used to bolster strategic points
blocking what is expected to be
Japan's line of attack deeper into
China's heart
They said Chinese lines now were
virtually prepared to withstand any
onslaught while Japan's mechanized
army still was begged in the mire OF
the flooded battlefields and her air
squadrons were grounded by rain.
Sixty new divisions, numbering
about 100000 men, were said to have
been prepared to take up positions
in Hankows last line of defense.
New Equipment Added.
The unexpected delay also was vital
ly helpful, Chinese declared, in as
sembling new equipment, including a
large number of planes from Soviet
Russia and elsewhere, 1900 Russian
tanks, $50 Russian guns and 800 other
guns.
Blocked by the floods. the japanese
were reported in great retreat from
the Honan Province front where, two
weeks ago, wavering Chinese resist
ance placed Chengchow. junction Of
! the North-South Peiping- Hankow and
East-West Lunghai railroads, in peril
of capture.
Chinese sources said the invading
forces were dividing into two armies.
One, they said, apparently would join
the Yangtze River offensive against
Hankow and the other would attempt
new campaign against the Chinese
Communist stronghold in Shensi
Province in the northwest.
Defenses on Both Sides.
Foreign military observers expected
Gen. Chen Chen to establish China's
line of defenses on both sides of
| Chengchow On the east. they said,
he would array forces along the Lung
hal railroad from kaifeng and Lam
/ feng to Chengchow. In the west he
would parallel the Peiping Hankow
railroad in the Tapishan Mountains.
They expected the main Peiping-
Hankow defenses would be based on
| Suchang, so miles south of Cheng-
chow, under Gen. Tang En-Po and
| the second line at Sinyang, so miles
| farther south. under command of Gen.
Sun Lien-Chung. Chengchow is about
300 miles north of HankoW
| New divisions were expected to form
third line at Wushengkwan, near the
Honan-Hupeh Province border, 80
miles north of HankoW.
New Headquarters Set-Up.
| Gen. Ii Tsung-jen, commander of
Chinese forces on the Tientsin-Pukow
front. has established new headquar-
ters at Kuslh, near the Anhwei- i-Honan
border, deploying his forces along the
Peiping -Hankow front against Japa-
nese advance westward
Gen. Chang Fah-kwei-China's "Old
Ironsides s"-has been entrusted with
the defense of Hankow along the
Yangtze, where the japanese pressure
now is strongest
The United States consulate at
Shanghai was informed the Presby-
terian mission chapel at Hhaichow,
Shantung Province port and eastern
terminal of the Lunghai, was damaged
in japanese air raid on the SOUTH
ern section Of the city June IA. No
foreigners were reported injured.
The bombardment, however, showed
Chinese forces still held the Yellow
Sea port in the rear of the japanese
Army.
Area Included First Time.
A japanese spokesman intimated
possible Japanese military operations
in South China when he acknowledged
danger zone warnings to foreign pow
ers included that area for the first
time"
Foreign observers expressed belief,
however, the only planned activities
probably were bombings and possible
naval landings.
Japan yesterday marked out a
vast no mans land for foreign
ers in China Its western bound
ary was on 1,000-mile line north
from Peihai (PakhoD. on the Gulf
OF Tongking, close to French Indo-
China, to Sian, capital of Shensi
Province.
tOn the north, it followed the
Yellow River almost TOO miles from