Japan pushes troops into Manchuria; Chinese flee

KOWPANGTZE, Manchuria, Sept. 21, 1931 (UP) -- Japanese troops were in control of all railways and telegraph lines within a hundred miles of Mukden today and Chinese residents are evacuating toward Peiping in panic.

Five hundred Chinese and 100 Japanese have been killed in fighting at Mukden and vicinity, according to unofficial estimates today.

Neutral residents of Mukden said they believe the Japanese version on the start of the fight was true.

United States Council John Carter Vincent, who is on a leave of absence, arrived at Mukden today and was seized by Japanese soldiers until he established his identity.

Vincent arrived on a midnight train and Japanese soldiers moving supplies became suspicious. They pointed their bayonets at him when they ordered him to surrender.

A special train carrying newspaper correspondents into the occupied area stopped here today while efforts were made to secure Japanese permission to proceed to Mukden.

Chinese civilians swarmed over the train as soon as it arrived, believing international opposition to the Japanese occupation had arrived. They were expelled with difficulty. On every hand fear of the Japanese was expressed.

Troop trains carrying refugees constantly passed our special train, carrying soldiers and their families southward to Peiping.

Yesterday we witnessed scenes of wildest confusion all along the route. Manchurian soldiers accompanied by their wives and children filled the south-bound trains to capacity and around them their baggage was piled in confusion.

Women and children occupied armored cars with horses and ammunition. The hasty preparations for evacuation precluded organization of an adequate commissary with the result that people and horses went hungry. All classes were represented among the refugees and the panic appeared to be province-wide.

Chinese officers estimated 9,000 troops had left Mukden.