JAPAN IN CHINA.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 291, 8 December 1937, Page 6

JAPAN IN CHINA.

UNIVERSITY DESTROYED. "Six Tears ago Japan could im the phrase that 'Japan goes into* China to civilise her,' but to-day you never hear a word from. Japan about China being disorderly. From the point of view* of political unity, in the sense of a combined will in the Central Government. China to-day is more unified than Japan, where there are many differences of opinion.' said Professor Chang Peng-Chun, of Xankai University, Tientsin, in a recent address in Manchester. "The universities of China are contributing a great deal to this new national life in China. Six years ago we relied 011 foreign support —011 the League of Nations. To-dav we do not blame the League, as we were sufficiently stupid to do then. To-day we are doing our own fighting, our own sacrificing. "In the first six months of this year there was a better understanding between China and Japan. The atmosphere was becoming so promising that at Xankai we started building aiain. although our vice-chancellor had often told us that we were farming near the crater of a volcano. Lava soil is usually rich, but you must get su> much as you can while sowing and reaping are good, because, whenever there is an eruption, you are the first to he overwhelmed. He had been telling us that since Manchuria was invaded, but we were fooled by the first six months of this year." Japanese Motives. Professor Chang summarised 1P causes of the invasion as a desire on the part of .Taiwanese militarists (1) to cheek the growing friendly feeling at home: (*2) to take advantage of the Kuro|(ean situation, especially in the Mediterranean: (:5) to take advantage of the Russian situation, wher.» there seemed to be weaknesses in the army: and (4) to take advantage of isolationist sentiment in the United States. "In the calculation on the Mediterranean I think they are about right: in the calculation on the Russian Army I think they are about tiO per <ynt wrong; and on American isolation I think tbev are about 70 per cent wrong. They may be 100 per cent wrong in a month or two." In conclusion, the professor described the bombardment of Xankai and the destruction iof all their valuable library and laboratory Collections, with the final use of oil to burn what incendiary bombs had not destroyed. The destruction was extended to the universities in the South and inland; the five coastal universities, which took 70 per cent of the students, were unable to carry on their work; professors had lost their possessions, their notes and the irreplaceable results of research work: and students were left helpless and had to travel hundreds of miles to get temporary ! quarters. | "Fighting Rather Well." "Our resistance has been described by one Oerman observer as 'disagreeably unexpected.' iAt the present time we are fighting rather j well. For the last three months we have been fighting full-dress, modern warfare and isliown our invader that in moral, if not in • equipment, we are superior. We are not fighting for victory or glory, but for the .humble aim to l>e free of JajMinese aggression. I think that in six months or a year we shall achieve our objective. We are doing a type of fighting which is not bombastic, not vainglorious, but resplendent with determination, orderly execution and glorious sacrifice. *'