NEW JAPANESE MOVE

New Zealand Herald, Volume 79, Issue 24203, 19 February 1942, Page 6

NEW JAPANESE MOVE

When, taking advantage of the fall of France, the Japanese occupied the province of Tongking in Indo-China in September, 1940, they obtained the ideal base for attacking Marshal Chiang's stronghold in West China from the rear. At the same time they closed his chisf supply line, the Haiphong-Kunming railway. One consequence was to increase enormously the importance of the Burma Road, China's last remaining life-line with the sea and her friends in the outside world. But the expected Japanese attack through Tongking did not eventuate. Japan contented herself by using the new base to bomb the Burma Road. Meanwhile Jdarshal Chiang employed the respite to garrison and strengthen his frontier with IndoChina. Now that the Japanese appear to be preparing for a thrust by landing heavy reinforcements at Haiphong, they should find the Chinese well prepared to keep their back-door closed and to cover the vital supply line of the Burma Road. The terrain on the frontier is mountainous and clothed with heavy tropical forest and should help to make invasion difficult. The fact is suggestive. The enemy reinforcement of Tongking may be intended as a feint to pin Chinese troops on the Indo-Chinese frontier, thus preventing their movement to Burma for the defence of the sea terminal of the road at Rangoon.