FAR EAST

Greymouth Evening Star, 2 April 1943, Page 5

FAR EAST

FIGHTING IN CHINA

CHUNGKING, March 31

The Japanese have begun an offensive apparently intended to disperse Chinese troop concentrations between the Yangtse and Han rivers west of Hankow. This is reported in to-day’s Chinese communique, but no details are disclosed. . The Chinese are continuing their onslaughts against the Japanese round Hwajung. The Chinese penetrated the enemy’s lines at several points. Fighting at close quarters resulted, in which the Japanese suffered 300 casualties. Nevertheless, the main Japanese line in the north 01. Hunan province is still firm.

THOUSANDS STARVING

NEW YORK, March 31

“Though the prospects for winterplanted wheat in Honan Province are excellent, thousands of Chinese are dying of starvation, and it is doubtful whether any will be left to bring in the harvest,’” says the Chungking correspondent of the "New Y ork Times.” “Estimates of the dead vary between 1,000,000 and 3.000,000, while from 11,000,000 to 20,000,000 Chinese are affected. Most of the peasantry have sold or abandoned their land and have joined in the trek southward. Highways and railways are strewn with deed. The bulk of the refugees are eating grass and straw and certain types of earth. The Central Government has ordered the release of military wheat to the refugees, but how soon this will be effective is not known.” . ,

The correspondent of the Associated Press in Chungking says that the Japanese retention of Hwajung (on the Honan-Hupeh border) threatens to deprive the Chinese of the rice fields in that region.

JAPANESE TACTICS

NEW YORK, March 31

Speaking at a Press conference in Washington, the Chinese Foreign Minister (Mr. Soong) declared that Japan had inaugurated a safer policy in occupied China, apparently designed to keep the Chinese quiet while new thrusts were prepared against the British and the Americans. Commanders of Japanese garrisons had been instructed to treat the conquered Chinese more gently. Various concessions had oeen restored to the Chinese.

BOMBINGS IN BURMA

RUGBY, April 1. An India communique states: Yesterday morning, R.A.F. Blenneims made a damaging attack on oil installations and other objectives at Bhamo, a Japanese base on me Irrawaddy, east of Katha. Several hits were observed on the mam oil storage buildings and other parts oi. the works, also on enemy barracks. Many fires were started. An attack was also made last night on the Mandalay marshalling yards. A number of bombs were dropped, but detailed results were unobserved. In a combat between ten R.A.F. Hurricanes and twelve Japanese lighters over the Rauthidaung area one. .enemy aircraft was destroyed. Other fighters carried out offensive patrols. r l hree of our aircraft are missing, but one pilot is believed to be safe. Ono of our light cralt operating over the Mayu River recently engaged three or four Japanese motoi launches, in spite of heavy covering fire from the bank, but details ol the engagement are not available.