Evening star., 1938-06-12
GERMANS T0QU|T
ASCH|ANG'S 'SA|DES

Won FaIkenhausen to Take
Mission Home at End
of June.
BACKGROUND
Germany's withdrawal of former
army officials noD acting as ad-
Dtsers to Generalissimo Chang Kai-
shek tgdS reported imminent sep
eral weeks ago, but German for
et0n Office denied knowledge of
any such order. Temporary sue
cesses Chinese haze had In turning
tide against japanese Were attrib-
nted to aduice OF these German
mtlttdrists. Germany and Japan
are linked With Italy In anti
Communist pact.
BY the Associated Press
HANKOW, June 11-China at the
end Of the month will lose the services
Of German advisers, headed by Gen.
Alexander Won Falkenhausen, who
aided Generalissimo Chang Kai-shek
In whipping together his national
army.
After nearly three weeks of uncer-
tainty since Berlin asked for the re-
lease of the men under contract as
military advisers and instructors, Ger
man authorities said today Won
Falkenhausen and all of the regular
members of his mission would leave,
en- route to Germany, by July /.
Their departure will deal a heavy
blow to China's hopes of resisting the
Japanese invasion as Chang has
turned more and more to Won Falken-
hausen for advice.
The general came to China more
than three years ago. picked by Chang
as his high adviser and expert in the
gigantic task of building up a ma
tional army capable of fighting Chinas
battles.
With staff Of so German assistants,
he aided in the gradual development
OF a peace-time program of military
organization. training and moderni-
zation.
When the Chinese Japanese war
broke out last July, with the task un-
completed, Won Falkenhausen re-
mained in China to become Chiaues
CHIEF adviser on strategy despite
China's unpreparedness and Berlins
expressed political sympathy with
Japan.
Japanese Expand Hankow Drive.
SHANGHAI, June II (Sunday) Up.
Japan launched today what she an
nounced was a general attack" upon
Hankow, provisional seat of General
lssimo Chang Kai-sheks Chinese
government, in the heart OF China,
585 miles up the Yangtze River.
The Japanese Navy served notice
here of plans to use both warships
and land forces in a synchronized as
sault upon the capital, Central Chinas
greatest commercial city, having a
normal population of more than
1900 900.
Within $50 Miles of Hankow.
transports were reported already with
in $50 miles of Hankow, far up the
river and already in action The
stream is navigable for oceangoing
vessels even past Hankow.
Japanese columns in the overland
drive now are fighting westward
through Honan Province, and another
column is approaching Anking. ais
miles downstream from Hankow.
China prepared for siege of the
capital with arrival there of a van
guard of troops from Szechuan Prov
ince. in the southwest, said to be the
first of 100000 new troops expected
from Szechuan.
General COnscription Ordered.
Chang Kai-shek ordered a general
conscription of men for the army, re-
gardless of family, wealth or influence.
The Chinese conscription law was
passed June IT, 1898. and became ef
fective March /, 1885, but was not
inforced until after the present war
started last July, and then not gener-
ally
A second main theater of war had
as its stage Chengchow, about 800
miles north of Hankow on the Peiping-
Hankow Railway, where stubborn Chi
neSe defenders still held on after per-
sistent weeks-long attack along the
Lunghai Railway.
Tremendous quantities of water
were reported coursing through large
break in the yellow River dikes north
east of Chengchow, threatening to Gre
ate flood of devastating proportions.
Chinese Are Confident.
Confronted by the Japanese fleets
threat upon Hankow, the Chinese were
confident their Yangtze defenses would
hold. Reports from Hankow said it
would take the japanese months to
get past great booms at Kiukiang, 135
miles down the river from Hankow.
The japanese Navy in announcing
the Yangtze drive advised all foreign
shipping to evacuate a 200-mile zone
between Kiukiang and Wuhu, 326
miles from Hankow.
British, French and United States
gunboats are the only foreign vessels
now in the river. American gunboats
are at Marking, Kiukiang, Ichang and