ENEMY IN CHINA

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVI, Issue 8, 9 July 1943, Page 5

ENEMY IN CHINA

SHORT OF MAN-POWER

PAST YEAR REVIEWED

RUGBY, July 7. In. Chungking General Ho Ying-chin, the Chinese"Minister of War and Chief of the ,General Staff, reviewing the military situation "over the past year, said thalr on 1 the teeritral China front the Japanese plans for a push to the westvvard had :been frustrated and the situation had been restored to normal, while the defence of western Yunnan was as strong as ever. In the recent campaign in western Hupeh about five divisions of enemy troops had been smashed.

j., The enemy forces were deteriorating lin quality, he said. As a result of the heavy losses the Japanese were facing an acute shortage of man-power, necessitating the calling up of Koreans, Formosans, and Chinese in the occupied territory, who had not the slightest interest in fighting for Japan.

A Chinese spokesman stated that the Chinese troops in the six years of war against the Japanese had fought 71 major battles, 2037 minor engagements, and 1033 guerrilla actions. The Japanese casualties up to the end of June totalled 1,930,639. Only 20,642 had been captured.

During the past year the Chinese forces had inflicted 187,860 casualties on the Japanese and captured 2809 enemy troops, 23 field guns, 5327 rifles, 1893 horses, and 316 tanks and trucks.

A special message to the people of China from President Roosevelt was broadcast today to Chungking. The President referred to * "the heroic defence of your soil under the leadership of the great generalissimo," and sent "heartfelt greetings from your partners, the people of the United States." The message added: "It is good to know that the hopes and promises which I have expressed on former occasions are all being borne out today." Then followed recorded excerpts of the relevant speeches by the President since China and the United States joined hands in the war. Mr. Wendell Willkie also cent a message which was broadcast by the United States Office of War Information to the people of China.—B.O.W.