WORTH-WHILE CHINA

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVI, Issue 18, 21 July 1943, Page 5

WORTH-WHILE CHINA

EASILY HELD BY JAPANESE

Rec. 12.30 p.m. NEW YORK, July 20. The Japanese are holding:, without difficulty, most of the parts of China worth holding, writes Hanson Baldwin the military editor of the "New York Times."

"The recent Chinese 'victories' were probably Pyrrhic, like most of the Chinese victories in the last two years," lie says. "The Japanese have not sought unlimited victories in China. They know that they cannot conquer and occupy all China.

"Indeed, the Japanese forces in China, amounting to about 400,000 men, are police forces, not an army bent on new conquests. Chinese communiques too often magnify skirmishes into battles, and the usual planned Japanese retirements into retreats.

"Nevertheless, the Chinese spirit of resistance still forces the Japanese to use about one-fourth of their land army to hold down occupied China, thus accomplishing a very valuable service to the United Nations. However, it would be a mistake to misinterpret the success of Chinese arms or to count on China delivering a knock-out blow to Japan. "China will play an essential role in the final defeat of Japan, but the main burden of the Pacific victory will be America's."

A Chinese communique reports that heavy fighting has been progressing for ten days in the Taihang Mountains, from which the Japanese launched their abortive offensive this spring. The communique states that the Japanese had been repulsed, and were now being attacked from the rear.