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THREAT TO HONG KONG.
EVACUATION TO ISLAND.
Chinese Troops in Attack.
LONDON, Dec. 16.— It was stated
in London this afternoon that the
British evacuation at Hong Kong
from the mainland to the island had
been completed. Meanwhile Chinese
troops are in position for attacks on
the flank of the Japanese troops.
This morning's Chinese communique
reported that Chinese forces were
harassing the enemy forces along the
railway line leading to Hong Kong.
A number of strategic points had
been captured and an offensive
begun further north in the Hang-
chow Bay and Shanghai districts.
It was officially reported by the
"Chinese Central News" in Chung-
king last night that the Japanese
had been forced to retire from some
positions outside Canton as the re-
sult of fierce Chinese attacks and
that a savage attack was in full
swing in the Tanshui area. Tanshui
is 28 miles north of the mainland
border line of Hong Kong colony and
24 miles east of the Canton and the
Kowloon railway. It was also stated
that Tsai Ting-kai, the hero of the
Shanghai fighting of 1932 was among
the Chinese commanders leading the
troops for the relief of Hong Kong.
A radio message from Chungking
intercepted in Manila yesterday said
Chinese troops had commenced scat-
none Help
tered attacks in Shansi, Honan and
Chekiang Provinces (which are
widely separated), evidently designed
to prevent the transfer of Japanese
troops to other Pacific ports.
The Tokio radio declared yesterday
that Japanese land and air forces
began a general offensive against
Hong Kong at dawn after the British
rejected an ultimatum for the sur-
render of the colony. It added that
Japanese troops had overrun Kow-
loon and it was only a matter of
days before the Rising Sun flew over
Hong Kong, the fall of which was
imminent.
A Berlin dispatch from Kowloon
said Japanese artillery had de-
stroyed a Hong Kong fort and was
also singling out many military
works on the eastern coast of the
island.
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