JAPANESE ADVANCE

Grey River Argus, 22 September 1944, Page 5

JAPANESE ADVANCE

CONTINUED IM SOUTH CHINA CHUNGKING, Sept. 20. A Chinese Cabinet spokesman, Chang, commented upon the success of the Japanese campaign to divide China. He said the military situation was undeniably very serious. Ample preparations were being made for the defence of Kweilin, where the enemy, when he arrived, will be dealt a severe blow. Japanese columns are now 31 miles from Kweilin. General Stilwell in a communique says: Chinese and American fighters destroyed. 90 vehicles of a 300 truck Japanese convoy on the ChangshaKweiyi Road. Aircraft maintained steady attacks on enemy supply lines, storage depots ang truck columns, as the Japanese advanced towards Kweilin. Chiang Kai-shek, according to the Associated Press, h.as accepted the recommendations for greater utilisation of China’s industrial potential, submitted by Mr Donald Nelson, who is leaving for Washington shortly, returning to Chungking later in tile year. ,

LOSS OF U.S. AIR BASES. J’AP ADVANCE ON KWEILIN. (Rec. 10.40). NEW YORK, Sept. 21. The United Press of America correspondent at the headquarters of the American Air Force in China says:— The Allies have now lost their, forward air bases in China, from which they might have met Admiral Nimitz and given aerial protection to his amphibious forces on the China Coast. American abandonment of the Kweilin aerodrome systetm has deprived General Chennault’s air forces of their most forward springboard. After capturing Hengyiang, the Japanese ground forces were expected to strike south, along the railway! towards Kweilin. Sixty-five thousand Japanese are reported to be now within 30 miles of Kweilin. General Chennault’s men are flying day and night in supporting remnants of Chinese forces who are resisting the Japanese advance. They constantly sweep over Japanese columns, hitting deep behind the lines at supply bases in the Changsha and Canton areas.