"HANDS DOWN"

Opunake Times, 10 February 1939, Page 4

"HANDS DOWN"

oimsrjssE victory AKMB EXPEItT UOJSJb'IDJbJJNT UJLULTIMATE SUCCESS "UUlUii Wlii iuU niluuo auiVu « 4 uito. dupun, oUiU aU.i. tl. iUUiUU;, ilu 'cXpoi l in small aiuio, nucii ue amveu ill oyuucy uy mo xNepi/Ui.a aiicr visiting Uenciai Cmai.g ixas. anoii. Au inventor or au anu-*ii<ppOi»-« bullet, wliicn was uscu uunu,; ureal War, Mr. Jfoineroy was inviuu to China by tiro geLttralis&iniu i<givo adv*ue uu certain inulteia, oul was forced to return because iu u.health, says the Sydney Sun. Mr. Pomeruy was so ill at (JUuujj king, tlie pro visional capital oi" (Jinua, Lliat Pilot Woods, the American an man who was shot down by the Japanese a few months ago, took 30 gallons Of petrol out oi his 'piano to niaKu room for him on v already crowiled 'plane. The Japanese were having a torriu time in China, said Mr. I'omeroy. Their reverses were more serious tliai. was generally supposed outside (Jhiuu. "Anywhere live miles off the iaii road, you will not iinu a Japanese in China,' he added. "Even in tlie von qucred country, the farmers are quietly paying their taxes to iho 'Chinese Central Government. The Chinese have no doubts about th(j l outcome of the war.

• "The Japanese are evacuating Can ton. They canuot hold it. By the spring I believe that they will bo leaving the langtse. "While I wks up there, the Chinese, engaged two Japanese divisions and cleaned them up to the last man.

"The Chinese are remarkable broad sword fighters. They got into hand

10-hand fighting with the Japanese ami urop thwr rifles, tearing in with then big swords. The Japanese cannoi fctuiid up to this at all."

Mr. 1 unioroy said tnat the Japanese una I soul t>U,OUO wounded soldiers

mrougu Shanghai. Os. these, 40 ; 0ix. were so badly injured that Ihey woiuu never be abio to light again. Chim had Jest many 'planes, sail Mr. i J ;jnoroy. Her best pilots had been kijled, but she was not short jf mackim s. He saw many British, iiussian, German and American wai planes

The Japanese had celebrated tLo L.rthduy of their Emperor by a bi,- ■ aiu m Hankow, he added. T!i. ( linej-. helped the celebration b\ footing down 21 of the Japanea. li.'r chines, losing five of their own. The Chinese, he said, carried oi« !•. ght iaids on railway lines, held '■)* the Japanese. They would chop ou; about 100 yards of the rails and sleepers and transport them five niilo* away and bury them. The Chinese told Mr. Pomeroy unu this had been going on for a lon b time and that the Japanese wero losing railway lines at the rate of lo miles a month.

In Chungking he met General aim Madame Chiang Kai-shek. He fouuu them a most unassuming couple, but brisk and business like. They wastea no words. They lived simple lives but wore heavily guarded.

China was well supplied with shell? and she had 52 arsenals which weio manufacturing small arms. The Chinese had been handicapped in getting munitions into the count rjafter the fall of coast cities, and were building a good road foT transport lorries from Burma. This work was almost completed. Anti-aicraft firing had not been entilfely satisfactory, he said. Experience in China had shown that antiaircraft guns feould keep enemy-

bombers high, but thousands of shots had to be fired by anti-aircraft guns to account for one 'plane.

Mr. Pomeroy has letters signed by Madame Chiang Kai-shek, giving instructions ito himself and; Chinese generals about how and where he should bo met. He was taken over the last section of the journey in Madame Chiang's private 'plane.