Evening star., 1938-10-22

ES the Associated Press.
SHANGHAI, Oct. 22-Japanese
commanders declared today that the
fall of Hankow was imminent and
said Chinese were in retreat at that
wartime capital which has been the
military goal of the japanese invasion.
Mass bombing of the Hankow area
to shatter the last Chinese resistance
was foreshadowed in memorandum
delivered to ENJOYS of foreign powers
st Shanghai, warning foreign shipping
to proceed up the Yangtze River at
least 10 miles above Hankow by mid
night tonight.
The United States gunboats Guam
and Luzon are among foreign vessels
stationed at Hankow.
Bombing May Be Necessary.
The memorandum. which also ad.
vised foreign shipping to avoid the
Canton area in South China, explained
that Chinese troops were retreating
across the Yantze at Hankow and
said extensive bombing might be nee
essary. Japanese forces stabbing at
Hankow's outer defenses were push
ing nearer to the city every hour.
Fall Of Canton-Japanese an
bounced the city was completely occu-
pied-was said to have given impetus
70 the Central China drive against
.Hankow and the adjoining cities of
Hanyang and Wuchang.
A wholesale Chinese withdrawal was
said to be under way from the
Canton area in South China as well
as the Central China Hankow region.
Chinese were streaming northwest
from occupied Canton, with japanese
controlling the area completely both
on the ground and in the skies.
In the Yangtze River Valley Chinese
troops were reported in retreat from
defense positions east Of Hankow to
the city's environs.
Hankow dispatches told of orders
for Chinese officials and their families
to leave the city. Fleeing civilians
scrambled for places on river boats
that were packed to the gunwales.
Japanese troops and river boats kept
up their steady advance. A mid
afternoon communique announced
that ground forces had occupied
Ocheng, on the south bank of the
Yangtze IS miles east of Hankow, and
were driving directly west against Wu-
chang.
Air, naval and ground forces gained
new momentum in the invasion which,
since the undeclared war started July
Z, 1887, has brought all of China's
chief seaports, its major cities and the
rich North China area under nominal
japanese control.
Observers have predicted that Japa-
nese, once the Hankow region was
conquered, might rest on their gains,
content to defend the occupied terri
tory against possible guerrilla attacks.
This frequently expressed opinion,
together with the pace of the Jap
anese campaign in Central and South
China, brought renewed talk of possible
peace negotiations.
Peace Offer Reported.
From Chungking came reports cred
iting former Premier Wang Ching wei,
chairman of the Central Political Coun-
Gil of the Kuomintang Nationalist
party, with having said that China
might accept peace terms from Japan.
However, Wang was said to have stipu-
lated that such terms must not hamper
the nations existence.
Recurrent rumors that neutral
powers were attempting to mediate
we're met with denials in diplomatic
circles both at Shanghai and Hong
Kong.
In their drive up the Yangtze, the
japanese used planes and gunboats to
clear path for flanking columns
spread out on both sides of the river.
They were forced to concentrate on
the river route to the Hankow area
after an attempt to obtain a base for
an attack down the Peiping- -Hankow