Evening star., 1938-02-28
JAPANESE TROOPS
CAPTURE L|NFEN
Defenders of Provisional
Capital of Shansi Flee
Toward Yellow River.

By the Associated Press.
SHANGHAI, Feb. 2s.-A japanese
Army driving southwark through
Shansi Province, at the western end
of the great Central China front, re-
ported today it had captured Linfen
and driven the Chinese defenders in
q roalt toward the Yellow River.
Linfen has been provisional capital
of the province since the Japanese
captured Taiyuan. the capital, 100
miles to the northeast, three months
ago.
The reported fall of Linfen indicated
the Japanese had driven some 40 miles
In two days since smashing the center
at Lingshih. En- route the invaders
took Hwohsien and Chaocheng in
heavy fighting.
Vital Rail Link Beyond.
This drive apparently was aimed at
the great bend OF the Yellow River,
where Shansi, Shensi and Honan
Provinces join. Just south of the bend
lies Tungkwan. vital station on the
Lunghai Railway and gateway to
Shensi, stronghold of the bitterly anti
Japanese Chinese Communists.
From Linfen the Japanese were
expected to branch into two columns,
striking southwestward down the valley
of the Fen River and southwark
through KuWo and Howma, both striv-
ing to reach the Yellow River, IS miles
south Of Linfen.
OF many Japanese thrusts seeking
to cut the Lunghai. backbone of the
entire Chinese military position, the
one in Shansi alone was making real
progress.
Aerial Bombardment Heavy.
Heavy air bombardments in that
sector were demolishing Chinese de-
fenses, and large tank contingents
showed the way to the infantry. The
drive threatened to push the Chinese
out Of Southwestern Shansi, thus COM
pleting the japanese conquest Of all
territory above the Yellow River.
The Japanese reported they killed
or captured 5000 Chinese at Hwohsien
alone.
Warning that the japanese intended
to subject Chengchow, vital junction
on the Lunghai, to heavy air lombard
ment tomorrow was given in leaflets
dropped from planes over the city
vital junction of the East-WeSt Lung
hal and North-South Peiping- -HankoW
Railways, a major objective of Japan's
strategy.
East of Shansi in other sectors OF
the corridor held by China's armies
along the Lunghai the Chinese were
firmly holding their own against the
videly-extended Japanese forces.
Americans In Danger.
Chengchow suffered terrific bom-
bardment February IA, when 400 Chi
nese were killed and 800 injured
Bombs dropped near the American
Southern Baptist Mission and Hospital,
but its staff escaped harm.
Five Americans were reported still
in Chengchow: DR.. Stanford E. Ayers,
Atlanta, Ga: Miss Katie Murray,
Kenansville, N. c.; Miss Grace Strib-
ling, Westminster, S. c., and the
Misses Pearl and Bessie Reid. of the
Free Methodist Mission (home town
not given.
In Chengchow also are "a Italian
Catholic priests and 81 Canossian Sis
ters.
The Chimes air forces carried the
war to the enemy today, bombing Jap
anese concentrations at many points
along the north bank of the Yellow
River where the japanese were pre-
pairing to attempt crossings.
In Shanghai the new japanese COM
mander for Central China, Gen. Shun-
roku Hata. paid formal call on Ad-
rniral Harry E. Yarney. commander
in chief of the United States Aslatic
Fleet. a board the admiral's temporary
flagship, the yacht Isabel. Gen. Hata
has replaced Gen. IWane Matsui, re-
called to Japan.