Evening star., 1938-01-14

,orer leadership of armies In the
field in an effort to driue the jap
anese from the country. Reports of
Mongolian support brings indicd-
ton OF strong counter-o1ensive.
DriUen back tomdrd Hdnkou in
Ydngtse Valley, the Chinese haue
row taken stand along the Grand
Canal.
Bs the Associated Press.
SHANGHAI, Jan. IA half mil
lion Chinese and japanese troops
fought along the ancient Grand Canal
tonight in a see-saw battle to deter
mine the fate of Central China.
In Toxic the German Ambas-
sador, DR.. Herbert Won Dirksen,
through whom Japanese proposals
for peace recently were reported
transmitted to China, today con-
ferred with Foreign Minister Koki
Hirota. 1t could not be confirmed
that terms for ending the war in
China again were under discussion,
but Domei, the national news
agency, said important matters
were considered)
Spurred by the presence of General
issimo Chang Kai-shek and shake
up in parts of the army's command,
Chinese troops counter attacked across
the frozen canal in an attempt to re-
capture town Of Tsining, which
changed hands a half dozen times in
costly engagements.
Chang ordered his chief Of staff,
Gen. Ho Ying-chin. to Suchow, the
junction of China's main east-west
railroad, the Lunghai. and the Tient-
sin-Pukow line, where Gen. Ii Tsung-
jen. Kwangsi Province warlord, di-
rected defenses.
Until the outbreak of Chinese
japanese warfare, Chang had been a
bitter enemy of Gen. Ii. who, in 1929,
was deprived of all posts for launch
ing detection Of Kwangsi generals.
General Reported Arrested.
While Shantung Gen. Han Fu-chu
was reported by Chinese to be under
arrest, his troops-driven from Tsin-
lng-were 10 miles distant, holding the
Kinsiang highway from which Japa-
nese would be able to outflank Suchow
or march against Kweiteh, ancient
capital of the Chinese Empire.
cat Hong Kong the purpose Of
Chiang's tour of the front was de-
scribed by authoritative sources as
an attempt to stiffen the morale of
retreating troops and induce his
generals, who had been acting in
dependently, to work together.
cat Amsterdam q group Of high
ranking CHINESE diplomats and =
government officials worked out
details of plan for seeking Great
| Britain's diplomatic and financial
help against Japan.)
Near Tsining, 100 miles northwest Of
Suchow, japanese tried to chop
through line of Chinese bayonets for
an attack on Suchow itself and on
Chengchow, the junction Of the
Lunghai and Peiping -Hankow rail-
roads. Behind the lines Chinese
guerrilla bands harried the Japanese.
Main Column Digs In.
Pending the outcome of the Tsining
battle, the main Japanese column ad.
varcing southwark along the Tsinpu
dug in at Tsowhsien, Is miles to the
east.
The Japanese column pushing north
from Marking was said to be too weak
to attack Pengpo. 30 miles south OF
Suchow.
Reports through Chinese channel,
said that in the far northwest, 10000
Outer Mongolian troops had arrived al
the border of Suiyuan Province and
were establishing positions to prevent
Japanese from cutting communications
between China and Outer Mongolia.
The Shanghai Municipal Council
met japanese demands for larger rep
resentation on the police administra.
ton by promoting two japanese te
chief inspector, two to sub-inspecto,
and two to inspector and making II
Japanese constables sereeants.