CHINAS RESISTANCE STILL INTACT

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22245, 9 November 1937, Page 11

CHINAS RESISTANCE STILL INTACT

Chiang Kai-shek Claims Success For Military Plan

DEFENDERS OF TAIYUAN IGNORE DEMAND FOR SURRENDER

Brilliant Operation by Japanese Force In Shanghai Area

Claiming that China’s resistant capacity is intact, Marshal Chiang Kai-shek announced that he did not favour direct negotiations with Japan, although he believed the Brussels Conference would produce valuable results. He said the fighting in the last three months had shown the success of the Chinese plan of exhausting the enemy.

Taiyuan is as yet untaken by the Japanese, the defenders having ignored demands to surrender the city. Ihe Chinese Communist general, Ghu Pei-teh, claims that even if the invaders capture all the cities in North China the war will continue, as the Japanese dare not leave the cities for fear of annihilation by Chinese guerrilla forces.

A brilliant operation by Japanese forces in the Shanghai area has brought their major offensive within measurable distance of success. A surprise landing at Ghapoo enabled the attackers to advance across almost undefended country to within 12 miles of Shanghai, leaving the Chinese with no communication with Shanghai other than in the west.

The position of Pootung is grave. The civilian population has been evacuated, and it is reported that the garrison is in danger of being cut off by the Japanese forces if the evacuation is not rapidly completed.

CHINA CONFIDENT OF VICTORY

“RESISTANT CAPACITY INTACT” HEAVY JAPANESE LOSSES CLAIMED (Received November 8, 8.30 p.m.) NANKING, November 7. Marshal Chiang Kai-shek in an interview said he did not favour direct negotiations between China and Japan, but believed that the Brussels Conference would achieve valuable results. China, he said, had shown herself capable of resisting the betterequipped Japanese, and would continue to do so indefinitely, confident of eventual victory. The temporary gains and reverses had not affected the issue, while China’s resistant capacity was intact. The last three months’ fighting had shown the success of the Chinese plan of exhausting the enemy, which had been long held at Shanghai and Woosung in spite of superior armaments and the lack of geographical advantages and fortifications facilitating the defence. The initiative remained with China. The Japanese losses were the heaviest since the Russian-Japanese War. I

ANTI-BRITISH TONE IN TOKYO

Alarmist note in Japanese newspapers TOKYO, November 7. Anti-British resentment is steadily Counting among the Japanese, who think that the pro-Chinese partisan*hip far exceeds reasonable consideration for British interests in China. ■

Many Japanese are saying that there is actually a possibility of Britain waging war against Japan hhd using the Chinese army. The newspapers daily bitterly actuse Britain of jettisoning what reined of Anglo-Japan'ese amity, •>nd numerous public bodies have passed resolutions denouncing Britan activities. Similar talk is heard everywhere the trams and buses and on the sheets.

' s a h° u t the Dominions, nich the Japanese regard merely an echo of the British views.

EMPIRE FIELD OF REMEMBRANCE

*Reath sent from duke ou WINDSOR . LONDON, November 7. _ >here were again solemn scenes v e " the Empire Field of Rememi adjacent to Westminster Abopened to-day. Britten, commanding the Guards, deposited a VcSSI * rom the Guards, also a cross on behalf of the Duke of tUu hsor inscribed, “In memory t®uen comrades.”

THE DEFENCE OF TAIYUAN

JAPANESE FORCES ON THREE SIDES CHINESE EMPLOY (JLERRILLA TACTICS (Received November 8, 10.30 p.m.) SHANGHAI, November 7. The Japanese forces have surrounded Taiyuan on three sides, but the defenders have ignored demands to surrender.

The Shanghai correspondent of the “Daily Herald” interviewed General Chu Pei-teh, Commander-in-Chief of the Eighth Route Army. He said that the Japanese, in order to reduce Taiyuan, were compelled to throw eight divisions and several independent brigades, totalling 180,000 men, with tanks, cavalry, and guns, into Northern Shansi.

He asserted that even if Japan occupied all of the North Chinese railways and cities the ,war would continue.

• “The Japanese,” he said, “are not daring to leave the cities for fear of annihilation. The Chinese are arming and organising against Japanese. Japan could not exploit her conquests for three years, nor afford to maintain 400,000 troops in North China,

“The Communist troops are still based in North Shansi and are taking daily a heavy toll of the Japanese by large-scale guerrilla attacks.”

The Shanghai correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph” says that after the reduction of Taiyuan the Japanese will be able to occupy five provinces north of the Yellow river.

THE NINE POWER TALKS

OFFICIAL STATEMENT ISSUED IN TOKYO (Received November 9, 1.25 a.m.) TOKYO, November 8. A Foreign Office spokesman told representatives of the press that the second invitation from Brussels requires considerable study. A reply may therefore be delayed. He saw no reason for the Japanese Government to change its mind. He denied that Japan had communicated with Berlin about terms of peace.