World News in Story and Picture

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 234, 2 October 1937, Page 3 (Supplement)

World News in Story and Picture

THE FOLLY OF JAPAN. While the Foreljjn Office suavely announces that Japanese airmen are taking every precaution to restrict bombardment** to military objectives. the naval spokesman brutally boasted that repeated air raids on a 2000-mile front would soon bring China to her knees. He admitted that adequate warning was not given to non-combatant* in Canton.—Cable. It U naturally impoMible to venture a definite opinion on the possible trend of events in the present ■ conflict in China, as the country haa never iought" a modern war, and is not prepared for modern war, but I really do not think that "repeated air raids on a 2000-mile front will tioon bring China to her knees." China is a vast country, and what happens in one part of it has little or no effect on a place hundreds of miles away. However, the wanton bombing of Chinese towns by the Japanese has brought about a miracle —it has served to unite China as she has not been for decades. The Japanese now realise this. They boasted that the bombing of Nanking would "bring China to her knees.." The Japanese soon realised their mistake and have now carried their bombing operations further afield in the hope of terrorising £he Chinese. Everywhere, however, it appears to have had the opposite effect

desired by the Japanese—it has merely served to madden the Chinese against their assailants.. Once routed an ordinary Chinese street inob is hard to handle. Once thoroughly roused the people of China will become a very dangerous enemy, the ' folly of the Japanese being that they are doing their best to bring this state about, by trying to bring about the opposite.

JAPAN'S NEFARIOUS TRADE. A Government report to the league of Nations on truffle In opium ituii other dangerous drugs during IttHU states that addiction to narcotic drugs U uot prevalent in Britain. —Cable. It m naturally pleaaant to bear such news of Britain, but it was generally understood. What k not well known, however, ia what terrible

had immediately resulted in a forced increase in poppy cultivation. Drug factories were at once started iu Chahar by Japanese. One of these was reported to have an output of some 15 time* the world's legitimate needs. Though the import into China of raw opium is forbidden, 40 to flO tons of Iranian (Persian) opium, sufficient for the manufacture of four or five time* the world's annual need* of heroin for medical purpose*, were imported into Manchuria for the manufacture of these drugs. In 1035, in the principal cities of Manchuria, nearly 0000 people died through the use of opium. Yet no intention has been shown to check the traffic in this drug. a matter of fact the Government's opimn programme for 1037 proposes a 2li per cent increase in sales over 1030. In one small town there were no less than 50,000 ophim smokers. Hero Again we have an example of Japan's folly. It is maintained that Japan flooded the Japanese occupied part* with opium, in order to lessen the powers of Chinese resistance through the use of this vile drug. Now, however, the increased sales are having a boomerang effect—the Japanese soldiers themselves have started to smoke opium, so that the Japanese themselves may defeat the vary object intended. *