Jap, Position In China Is Serious

Northern Advocate, 18 April 1938, Page 5

Jap, Position In China Is Serious

(Received 10 a.m.) LONDON. April 16,

The situation of the Japanese in China is considered to be serious, but no;: desperate, says the diplomatic correspondent of the ‘Manchester Guard-

ian.” The Chinese ai’c believed to be employing the right military tactics from their point of view. Their resistance is not weakening, and peace is rernotei

Most of the war material is reaching' China through Hongkong, from Germany and Italy, and some is received from Russia, mostly inferior.

Germany is uneasy about the difficulties of the 1 Japanese, because a prolonged war will diminish Japan’s value as a Signatory of the Anti-Communist Pact. ■

/Linuidate Eight Divisions/

A cable from Tokio states that the pdriiei News Agency reports that the Japanese in Shansi liquidated eight Chinese divisions and captured several towns.

The Chinese declare that they entered the suburbs of YisWien, and assert that the Japanese lack supplies, and that aeroplanes are dropping foodstuffs.

Chinese in Shantung maintain that they outmanoeuvred the, Japanese. Guerilla warfare is widespread. A Hankow message states that the Chinese have captured Gunshyuan and Pinglu, and are storming the walls of Yishien. having surrounded 10,000 Japanese. '

Two Million Destitute.

Two million people'are destitute in China, and the Government is trying to find relief work for them, says the Hankow correspondent of “The Times.” There are 500,000 refugees in Hankow, supported to the utmost possible extent from the Lord Mayor’s Fund by the International Red Cross.

Last Throw.

Apparently staking the fate of the North China campaign upon frontally overwhelming the Shantung line towards Hsuchow,, the Japanese are abandoning hundreds of miles of territory in Shansi and North Honan, and rushing reinforcements to Hsuchow, in order to synchronise the* onslaught with the northward drive from Nanking along the southern TientsinPukow/ line.

Taking advantage of the full moon, the Japanese delivered five air raids qn Hankow, The damage is unknown. Anti-aircraft batteries were silent, but pursuit planes challenged the attackers.

Japanese also air-raided northern Canton, killing 500 militia, and wounding 100 civilians.