FLOODS MAY DEFEAT JAPANESE ARMIES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 142, 18 June 1938, Page 9

FLOODS MAY DEFEAT JAPANESE ARMIES.

CHINA'S DEFENCE.

Worse Than Burning of Moscow by Russians.

SHOCKING PLIGHT OF PEOPLE

United Press Association. —Copyright. (Received 12.50 p.m.) LONDON, June 17. The British United Press Shanghai correspondent says that foreign military quarters are of the opinion that tlie ellow River floods may be one of history's greatest defensive measures, proving as disastrous for the Japanese as the Russians' burning of Moscow was for Najxdeon's grand army.

It is reported that Chinese troops east of tiie Peking-IJankow railway in many sectors are linking the rivers by means of canals in order to direct the flood southwards, thus creating an impassable barrier between the Lunghai railway and Miaotang, where the Japanese previously were advancing. The disaster is the worst since 1855. Experts are of the opinion that the floods will render the Japanese mechanised armies useless, destroy their aerodromes and force the infantry to wallow in muddy devastation.

Already scores of Japanese military bridges have been swept away and many miles of rof ds have disappeared. Flooded trenches have been abandoned.

At least <00.000 Chinese are homeless and 200,000 have taken refuge in Japanese camps, creating a gigantic problem of feeding and housing. Many thousands are starving as the areas they reached are already devastated by war operations.

An earlier Shanghai dispatch stated that a day of ceaseless rain threatens worse floods in the Yellow and Yangtse Rivers. Correspondents report that various Japanese units have been marooned and are being provisioned by aeroplanes.

Renter's special correspondent, who had a 1000-mile tour in a Japanese Army aeroplane, describes a scene of desolation in Honan, north and south of the Lunghai railway.

A stream from eight to ten miles wide is spreading in a south-westerly direction betveen Chengchow and Kaifeng, ami seems likely to junction with the Yangtse via the Grand Ca'ial. Two long sections of the Lunghai railway are submerged.

China's Deliberate Defence Plan. Japanese Army leaders at Peking declare the Chinese prepared the breaches in the Yellow River dykes three months ago in anticipation of their retreat and blew them up on June 11. Japanese engineers attempting rejwirs the next day were fired on by the Chinese and ten were killed. The Japanese say it is impossible to repair the dykes under Chinese fire, so the flow of the Yellow River must continue until the normal autumn recession. Renter's special correspondent says the waters are four miles from Kaifeng. which has thrice before been destroyed by floods. It lies 20ft below the river bed.