U.S.A. AND. CHINA

Greymouth Evening Star, 4 November 1944, Page 5

U.S.A. AND. CHINA

POPULAR FEELING CHANGED

PRO-BRITISH SWING

WASHINGTON, Nov. 3. Chinese officials in the United They beVeve : the on the Burma front. , . • . j.-u p A growing body of opinion in the War Department believes that th war against the Japanese may e W^m?e e s. Co ’°< r Ge-ralElwell episode blows sky high .American sentimentality about China. Repearna nubliTopinion polls had shown China w be the American public s favourite aIW The debacle oi Brigadiei-Gen eral Frank Merrill’s Marauders m north Burma and growing scepticism about internal co . ndltlons^ p ( L hl^ e iief crease the American publics beuei that Japan must be defeated, no the Chinese mainland, but by aeio P1 AmeHcans h will soon recognise, the importance of the British operations in Burma. Admiral Mountbattens South-east Asia Command has been heavily criticised in. the American British troops were compared unfavourably to the Chinese. It is now expected that criticism of British efforts in Burma will cease. The director of the Chinese News Service (Dr. Hsia) in the first Chinese official - statement on General Stilwell’s recall, said that M r. Roosevelt did the only correct possible thing in the circumstances. Referring to discussions about reform of the Chinese Government, Di. Hsia said good counsel was welcome, but reform should not be made a condition of war-time co-operation between two countires. If so, it would be tantamount to a threat or ultimatum which a self-respecting nation would resent and resist. Mr Roosevelt has directed Mi. Donald Nelson to return to China at the earliest possible moment. A White House statement said that as the President’s personal , representative Mr Nelson will continue his work with Chiang Kai-shek on measures for strengthening the Chinese wai effort and notably to organise a Chinese war production board to increase the output of China’s war industries. Mr. Nelson will be accompanied by Mr. Howard Coonley as his deputy, Mr. Eugene Stalling, an alcohol production expert, and five steel experts. STILWELL’S ARRIVAL (Recd. 11.30 a.m.) ( WASHINGTON, Nov. 3. The War Department announced that General Stilwell arrived by air. After conferring with the War Department he will take short leave. General Stilwell stated he had no public statement to make, therefore would not give interviews. CHINESE SUCCESS

CHUNGKING, Nov. 3. The Central News announced that Chinese forces recaptured Lungling after a five-day assault. Remnants of the Japanese garrison fled southwards. ’ . General Huang Chieh, commander of the Chinese troops who captured Lungling, said the Japanese’put up a terrific last minute battle. Huangopened the drive against the city on May 5, and stormed in a month later, with Chinese and American air support, but was forced out on June 17 by reinforced Japanese. After reassembling his'forces Huang began another assault and captured Lungling. . 2 . The Associated Press points out that Lungling is the principal remaining Japanese bastion on the Salween River ITont. Its capture removed the last major obstacle to the juncture of the Ledo and Burma roads, reopening the land supply route to China. Enemy remnants from • Lungling retreated south-west towards Mangshih. The Chinese are in full pursuit. A Chinese Army spokesman predicted that Kweilin would be able to endure a long seige.

BURMA AND SIAM

KANDY, Nov. 3

A South East Asia communique states: Troops of the Fifth Indian Division, yesterday, captured Japanese, strongpoints on the slopes of Sialam Vum, the eight thousand feet high mountain, overlooking the TiddimFort White Road from the north west. On the road, enemy defences twelve miles from Tiddim, have been cleared and our forces have pushed on to join in a three directional attack on a position at “a vital corner.” An American Associated Press correspondent reports: United States Liberators on Wednesday made a thirteen hours’ flight to bomb an important railway bridge at Dara, in Siam. Just, before dusk they swept in at a height of only three hundred feet and caused heavy damage to the three-span 750 feet-long bridge. Dara is 284 miles north of Bangkok. The damage to the bridge will force the Japanese to ferry cargoes across the wide Menan Nan River, causing serious interference with their traffic for Eastern Burma and Northern Siam.

When Scots troops of the 36th Division, led by their Divisional Commander, Major-General Festing, dashed into Mawlu, the Division scored the greatest victory to date in its sensational 110 mile advance, says a correspondent with the South-east Asia Command. The Japanese had been expected to make a determined stand here yet they abandoned wellprepared positions after desultory firing. Superfortresses based on India carrying the largest individual bombloads ever lifted in aerial warfare. struck at daylight at railway yards in Rangoon in favourable weather. The damage is estimated as heavy.