Imperial Valley Press

Japs Move Ahead In Honan Area

CHUNGKING, April 24. (UP)- More than 60,000 Japanese troops were pounding slowly westward in a three-pronged drive through central Honan province Monday and a communique indicated that the invaders may already have captured the Chinese stronghold of Chenghsien, on the junction of the Lunghai and Peiping-Hankow railway lines.

"The situation in Chenghsien is now obscure," the communique said, suggesting the Japanese, who broke into the suburbs of the town Friday night, had overwhelmed the garrison.

A second column of the Japanese invasion army was disclosed to have driven 20 miles north and west of Chenghsien and then turned southward in an apparent attempt to close the escape route for the defenders of that town. Simultaneously, a third Japanese force was reported across the Peiping-Hankow railway 25 miles south of Chenghsien and moving to the northwest to complete the pincers.

Both flanking columns are meeting stiff resistance and casualties are running high on both sides, the communique said. It reported that the Japanese are being reinforced continuously.