The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-06-21

Landing at dawn, the Japanese within l2 hours were reported to be at the outskirts of Swatow proper,
 Destroyers moved up the Han river parallel with troop columns on either side, 1t was said, in order to prevent Chinese from breaking the dykes and drowning the in- vaders.
 The Swatow raid came as com- plete surprise, following the block ades of the Tientsin concessions and Kulangsu, the foreign area of Annoy, l25 miles up the coast from Swatov'
 Ostensibly Japan by occupying and blockading Swatow, intended to close an inlet for Chinese war sup- plies. Actually, W ether as part of a considered plan or not, it meant that the Japanese were closing In on Honk Kong, Great Britains Far Eastern naval base.
 Swatow is 180 miles above Hong Kong. Already Japanese troops were at coastal points in the tm- mediate vicinity of Honk Kong ana Japan had oc lp, Canton, up the Pearl river. since last October.
 U. s. Destroyer There
 The American destroyed Pillsbury is at Swatow, with its crew of 122 officers and men.
 Capt. John T. G. Stapler left Hong Kong yesterday in the United states destroyer John D. Pope and was ex- nected to divert the ship to SwatoW.
 The gunboat Asheville was stand ing by at Hong Kong for orders, and was expected to leave at any hour for the scene.
 Approximately 40 Americans, and hundreds of Britons, reside at Swatow.
 1t was believed that the British destroyer Thanet was with the Pllis- bury at the scene.
 Japan had quietly mobilized a big fleet of Swatow. During the night a sudden blockade was clamped down. Foreign ships wirelessed that they were forbidden to approach the port. Four British merchantmen were among those turned away.
 Open up bOmDdTuuCuV
 .hlst before dawn the Japanese fleet opened bombardment on Chi nese concentration points about Swatow.
 Under the barrage of smaller cali bre guns, the Japanese landed two columns one on each side Of the Han river at whose mouth SWatoW is situated.
 A third force was landed a little way up the coast, apparently to en- circle the city and cut the Chao- chow railroad, 27 mills inland. This force had been concentrated ln the Namoa Islands just off the coast.
 The Japanese landing parties at the bouth of the river quickly cut through Chinese rear guards and moved on the city proper.
 They had cleared the way for a veritable army, including infantry, artillery and mechanical units, which began pouring from the transports massed off the coast.
 Chinese Retreated
 The Chinese had learned of the impending attack and had retreat ed inland under their strategic policy of refusing to face the Jap anese, with their overwhelming su- periority of arms, in mass battle.
 Most of the Chinese population had gone inland with the army un- der the instructions of the Chinese commander-in
 Thus foreigners, wharf laborers and the little Chinese suicide unit the rear guard, was left to await the Japanese
 Late reports said that Japanese advance guards were marching up the Han river, passing Swatow on both sides without meeting more than formal resistance by tiny Chinese rear guard units.
 Japanese authorities at Hong Kong said that the Japanese land- ing was made because since the fall of Canton, Swatow had been in inn portant port for munitions for the Chinese.
 Occupy All Coastal Cities
 At Shanghai it was suggested at once that the Swatow occupation was an intimation that Japan in- tended to occupy all coastal cities as a warning of its power and it's determination to dominate foreign interests. But there were some who thought that this new move might be intended to direct attention from the Tientsin blockade.
 The announcement that Japanese authorities here had decided to con-