THREAT TO CHINA

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 25001, 18 September 1944, Page 6

THREAT TO CHINA

ADVANCE BY JAPANESE KEY ALLIED AIR BASE (Reed. 7.30 p.m.) NEW YORK, Sept. 17 The Japanese driving into ICwangsi Province, South China, are within 60 miles of the key Allied base of Kweilin, from which mass evacuation is being organised, says the Chinese High Command. Kweilin is being converted into a fortress which Marshal Chiang Kaishek has ordered his troops to hold at any cost. The Tokyo official radio claims that the Fourteenth Air Force has started to destroy Kweilin because of the threat of Japanese occupation. Equipment and personnel are being transferred to Liuchow. The Chungking correspondent of the United Press in an earlier message says the Chinese High Command admitted the fall of Chuanchow, a river town north-east of Kweilin. The double-edged offensive aimed at splitting China in two is now under 150 miles of achieving its goal, the correspondent adds. Otiier Japanese forces seized Sinning, 28 miles north of Chuanchow. A Chinese Army spokesman said the fighting throughout Kwangsi Province was increasing every hour, with the Chinese battling desperately to block the enemy's most serious threat in seven years. A last-ditch defence of Kweilin by the Chinese would delay the junction of the Japanese forces,_ also expose the enemy to deadly attrition from the air and ground, but would not alter the fate of the near-by airfields which have served the Allies well in recent months, says the Associated Press correspondent in Kunming. The Commander of the United States Air Force in China, Major-General Clare Chennault, returning with the Commander of the United States Forces in the Far East, General J. W. Stihvell, from a hurried inspection of the Far Eastern front, said the Japanese advance toward Kweilin would not lessen the Fourteenth Air Force's bombing and strafing attacks on the Japanese overland supply lines, but it would necessarily curtail the vast sweeps the planes had been making against enemy shipping plying over the South China Sea between China and the Philippines. "Probably one of the motives for the Kweilin drive," he added, "is the Japanese desire to end the sea sweeps. Some, however, believe that they feverishly desire to secure their rear positions on the south-west coast against a Chinese attack co-ordinated with an American landing. It is also thought that the Japanese are determined to deny the Allies the use of China as a staging ground for Super-Fortress raids on Japan. DAMAGE IN LONDON SHORTAGE OF HOMES LONDON, Sept. 10 The extent of damage to London's houses in the flying bomb attacks was disclosed by the Minister of Reconstruction, Lord Woolton, when he announced that Sir Malcolm Trustram Eve had been appointed to lead a drive to provide shelter for hundreds of thousands of Londoners before winter. Many houses will be repaired and requisitioned, and 10,000 huts will be provided Lord Woolton, giving figures, said that 23,000 houses and flats were destroyed in the flying bomb attacks and 1,104,000 were damaged. In the raids from 1940 to the spring, 1944, 84,000 houses were destroyed and 142,000 were still to be repaired, of which 42,000 were unfit for occupation. A total of 107,000 houses were destroyed in the London area by air raids and flying bombs. At an average of 4.5 persons per home, that represented accommodation for 500,000 people. There were 170,000 houses seriously damaged and as many in need of repair, he Added. Seven hundred thousand which received the first air repairs needed further work to make them reasonably comfortablo. There were 83,000 men engaged on repairs and demolitions in London, of which 21.000 were specially brought to London. More were needed. The amount of material needed was described as stupendous. BATTLE OF BRITAIN ANNIVERSARY OBSERVED (Reed. 6.30 p.m.) LONDON. Sept. 17 Sunday was observed in Britain as Battle of Britain Sunday, and the Homo Secretary, Mr Herbert Morrison, sent a message of praise to the civil defence workers of London and the southern towns for the work they have done in the five years. Mr Morrison said he hoped the attack by flying bombs would be the last they would have to face, although no man could say what a ruthless and deadly enemy would do. Staff officers, airmen and Waafs on duty in an operations room at tho headquarters of tho Air Defence of Great Britain were taken by surprise on Friday morning when Air CliiofMarsbal Lord Dowding, Air Officer Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Air Force Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain, suddenly appeared on a balcony overlooking tho plotting room from which four years ago he directed the great efforts against tho German air attacks. Lord Dowding took tho salute at a parade held thero to commemorate the fourth anniversary of tho greatest day in the Battle of Britain on September 15, 1940, when pilots of the Fighter Command destroyed 185 raiders over Britain. Parades were also held by both tho R.A.F. flying and technical training commands. A Rome correspondent states a message was sent to all R.A.F. units in the Mediterranean theatre by General Sir Henry Maitlaml Wilson marking the occasion. The anniversary was also celebrated at Malta and Delhi,.