KINWHA ENCIRCLED

New Zealand Herald, Volume 79, Issue 24370, 4 September 1942, Page 3

KINWHA ENCIRCLED

DRIVE TO NANCIfANG CHINESE TROOPS ADVANCE CHUNGKING, Sept. 2 The fall of Kinwha, capital of Chekiang Province, is said to be imminent. It has been encircled by Chinese lorces. Jn Kiangsi Province the Chinese are within striking distance of Nanchang, sa.vs a Chinese spokesman. It is the capital and centre of Japanese-occupied territory. In South China the Chinese reportthat they are now only 16 miles from Canton. A Japanese outpost 30 miles to the north-east of the city also is being vigorously attacked. QUALITY NOT HIGH JAPANESE SUBMARINES VIEWS OF .COMMENTATOR (Herd. 10.35 p.m.) NEW YORK, Sept. 3 The New York Times commentator, Hanson Baldwin, reviewing submarine warfare in the Pacific, says the Japanese do not possess submarines of similar quality to the German U-boats. They also lack expert submarine crews. Therefore the achievements of the Japanese submarines are strongly in contrast with the Navy's surface operations, which indicates that the Japanese regard submarines as of minor importance.

American submarines in the Pacific on the contrary have been extremely successful. They are estimated to have sunk 500,000 tons of Japanese merchant shipping, which is a severe drain upon a country whose replacement capacity is small. Mr. Baldwin further points out that America benefits front the possession of Hawaii, which is the keystone to Pacific strategy, and a base from which submarines can easily operate against the Japanese coasts. submarine menace NOT YET REMOVED (Rood. O.rtO p.m.) WASHINGTON, Sept.. 2 Although there has been a steady diminution in the number ol ships sunk off America the submarine menace has by no means been removed, said the Secretary of the Navy, Colonel Frank Knox, at a press conference. He said: "The minute you make it tough in one place they hunt in new areas on the high seas far from the land. It is a long job; we may never lick them completely, but the menace can he reduced substantially so •it will not interfere with victory. "The progress of the shipbuilding programme," he added, "is extremely satisfactory. All ships are being both launched and fitted out ahead of schedule." FLIGHT TO CANADA LONDON, Sept. !! A Canadian bomber crew who on Tuesday night raided Saarbrucken landed in Ottawa 21 hours later. The journey to Canada began as soon as the bomber and her crew arrived back. The flight was made so that, fliers fresh from fighting over Europe could tell the Canadian people what, thousands of other Canadian fliers are doing.