RAINS IN YUNNAN

Greymouth Evening Star, 22 May 1942, Page 5

RAINS IN YUNNAN

AID CHINESE DEFENDERS JAP. RETIREMENT EXPECTED NEW YORK, May 20. The Chungking correspondent of the “New York Times” reports: The rainy season has begun throughout Yunnan Province. Torrents washed out roads, swelled rivers and hampered transportation. This will inevitably bring malaria and cholera, rhe defence of this Yunnan area is most important . for China, because the Yunnan mountain valleys contain a considerable portion of the Chinese fighting strength, also new war factories, and also essential centres of tin, copper and iron production. The Governor of Yunnan Province addressing a memorial meeting, declared: “No matter how the situation may have deteriorated, Yunnan will be defended.” He added: “The Japanese have not moved over-deeply into Yunnan. Instead, they probably will soon retire from the frontier as a result of Chinese pressure from the rear, and also because the terrain is definitely unfavourable for the invaders.”

JAPS. LAND NEAR FOOCHOW. (Rec. 10.10 a.m.) CHUNGKING, May 21. The American Press reports that the Chinese High Command announced to-day that Japanese troops had landed near Foochow, and engaged in heavy fighting with the Chinese defence forces. The invading force arrived from a dozen transports, which proceeded up the Min River near Foochow city. The United Press reports that Chinese counter-attacks have thrown back the enemy southward of Hangchow and Ningpo. On the western Yunnan front, the Chinese captured Kanlanchai and seized large quantities of booty. The Associated Press Association reports that the Japanese, apparently intent on knocking out China, or at least, seizing the forward areas from which Japan might be attacked, supplemented their broad offensive in the Chekiang Province, with a landing in force on the north bank below Foochow under cover of a barrage by escorting warships. The Japanese are believed to number about 125,000 troops in the Chekiang, Fukien, and Kiangshi provinces. The Foochow action created a. second highly-active front in the Chekiang-Fukien seaboard area, and constituted a new threat at the lear of the Chinese forces. . . z The Japanese continued their intensive bombing of important communication centres in the Chekiang Fukein, Kiangsi, Hunan, and Kwangsi Provinces. The attacks were heaviest at Kian, Hangchow, and Kweilin.

ANOTHER FIGHT FOR CHANGSHA

(Rec. 1.15 p.m.) NEW YORK, May 21. Four Japanese columns, totalling about 80,000 troops, half of whom are held in reserve, are advancing on the Chekiang front, and have reached a point 50 miles from Kinhwafu, states a Chungking message. Another Japanese force is massing at Nanchang, in support of the Chekiang thrust. Heavy Japanese forces are also concentrating on the Yangtze River bases near Hankow, possibly as a forerunner of an effort to occupy the entire railway between Hankow and Canton, entailing a fourth battle for Changsha. The Japanese have three times entered Changsha, but. have been driven out each time. AERIAL ACTIVITY, LONDON. May 21. A communique from New Delhi says that Royal Air Force bombers in Burma are continuing their attacks against the enemy in the Chindwin river area near Kalewa. Waterfront buildings, a steamer, and barges were bombed and other craft machine-gunned. Craft at the mouth of the Mayn river were also bombed and machine-gunned. A Japanese air attack on Indian territory is recorded in a communique from New Delhi, which states that bombs were dropped on May 18, on a peaceful rural locality in eastern Assam. Casualties were light and the conduct of the inhabitants was quite steady.

ALLIED ATTACKS INCREASING RUGBY, May 21. A review of the activities of Allied forces in Burma received from Calcutta shows an increase in attacks on the Japanese. In the first half of this month, there was an average of two attacks daily, and the objectives included aerodromes, transport and troops, and enemy supplies must have been seriously disturbed. In a most successful river transport attack six barges were hit and probably destroyed at Monywa, on the Chindwin River. The Magwe and Akyab aerodromes have been repeatedly bombed. Americans bombed Rangoon docks and Mingaladon aerodrome. A feature of the fighting is that the Japanese use night fighters, which have met with no success in the encounters with the Americans.

THAILAND'S KING. (Rec. 11.15 a.m.) NEW YORK, May 21. The Tokio official radio announced that the Thai Government has asked the young King Ananda Mahidol to return from Switzerland, in order to learn Japanese, and to familiarise himself with the relations between Thailand and Japan. INDIA'S WAR PRODUCTION. (Rec. 1.30 p.m.) BOMBAY. May 21. India's war production must be developed much further, if she is to become the arsenal of the Middle and Near East, said Dr. Grady, of the United States Technical Mission, in a report to the Viceroy, alter live weeks’ investigation. The mission recommended to Washington the establishment of a governmental industrial organisation for adequate co-ordination of India’s war production, and sending to India, technicians and production executives for direction of industrial plants.

SABOTAGE IN INDIA. LONDON, May 20. Saboteurs removed the fishplates and bolts from the tracks of the Sind Railway, in an attempt to derail a train, but the engine-driver averted disaster, says the Delhi correspondent of “The Times.” The Governor of Sind (Sir Hugh Dow) said this attempt and the derailment of the Karachi-Lahore mail train were not politically significant. Thirteen people were killed and four injured when an armed gang attacked a bus on the Mirpur-Khirpi road, says the Karachi correspondent of “The Times.” The gang set the bus on fire. The dead included a police inspector.