SECRET LIFELINE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23879, 1 February 1941, Page 10

SECRET LIFELINE

SUPPLIES FOE CHINA CIRCUITOUS COURSE TAKEN VARYING MODES OF TRANSPORT HONGKONG, Jan. 30 The admission by the Japanese Premier, Prince Konoye, in the House of Representatives, that "there is not a glimmer of hope for a settlement of the China affair, is but a public acknowledgment of what intelligent Japanese have for a long time realised. China is a millstone which Japan voluntarily placed around her neck, and which to-day prevents her seizing upon those advantages whico are supposed to accrue from participation in tho Axis. Unknown Point on Coast Tho most enthralling story of China s strugglo has never been told, and will not bo told in full until tho war is over. It is a story, not of the Burma Road, nor of the route from Russia, but of a third lifeline which is even more important. It runs from a point on the China coast, not known to tho world at large, to Chungking, capital of Free China. Moro goods aro going over this routo than ever canto from llussia or Burma. The routo begins neither at Hongkong, which is British, nor at Macao, which is Portuguese, but in China. It takes a circuitous course by every means known to Chinese ingenuity and suggested by the needs of an embattled people. Goods are carried lor a part of the way on tho backs of a myriad Chinese, for part of the way by sailing junk, for part by truck, and for part by rail. Thousands of Men Killed Over this route have gono motor vehicles, taken down and carried piece by piece by sweating coolies. Tyres, provisions of all kinds, and, most important of all, petrol and kerosene in huge quantities, have gono up this winding way. Down it have come Free China's exports of hog bristles, tung oil, and wolfram. All in time find their way to foreign ports for distribution. Thousands of men have been killed on this route, but there aro millions more. Theoretically, goods can cover the distance from the coast to Chungking in three weeks, but it is reasonable to assume that the average is more liko a month. Tho Japanese may rail at tho Burma Road, but the source of supply is under the shadow of their bombers, and they can do nothing about it.