WAR EFFORT OF CHINA

Southland Times, Issue 25643, 10 April 1945, Page 4

WAR EFFORT OF CHINA

EARLIER ATTITUDE OF ALLIES The fact that recently there had been some criticism of China’s ,war effort, especially in certain American papers, was mentioned by the Very Rev. G. H. McNeur in an address last night on China. “There are grounds -for this criticism and the Chinese would be the first to admit the fact,” Mr McNeur said, “but it is well to remember that our treatment of China throughout the years hindered her development industrially, politically and economically. Then when Japan began her war on China 75 per cent, of the Japanese war material came from Britain and America. .Britain and America knew that much of this material was being poured out on the defenceless cities of China, though a lot of it came back on ourselves later. In the House of Commons the opinion was expressed that it would be a good thing if Japan beat China because it was thought that under Japanese domination there would be better opportunities for British trade in China. Neither should it be forgotten that when we lost places like Malay, Burma and Singapore the doors to China were shut so that she could not get supplies from the outside world.”