NEW STRATEGY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 87, Issue 84, 10 April 1943, Page 5

NEW STRATEGY

JAPANESMN CHINA CONCENTRATION ON MAJOR POSITIONS (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) Recd. 6 p.m. Chungking, April 8. The Japanese have altered their strategy in China and are garrisoning minor points with puppets and concentrating their own forces on major positions. Explaining this to a Press conference, the Chinese army spokesman said that the Japanese thus acquired greater mobility for operations which might develop.’ The spokesman said that the enemy’s strength on the whole was unchanged in China, namely, 30 divisions. The spokesman reported that fighting had occurred in the past week in the provinces of Hupeh, Honah,. Hunan. Kwangtung, Anhwei, Chekiang, Shansi, and Shantung, but that in every case it was of a minor character. Th? Japanese made an unsuccessful attempt to outflank the Chinese across the Yangtze south-west of Shasi. Enemy thrusts north and west of Sinyang were turned back. Further clashes occurred in Yunnan, near the Burmese frontier, in which a large number of enemy troops were killed. All the thrusts were thrown back. NO EARLY PROSPECT RELIEF TO CHINESE VIA BURMA (Special Correspondent—N.Z.F.A.) Recd. 6 p.m. London, April 8. While it is often vaguely assumed that reconquest of Burma would radically improve China's military supply situation and allow a great number of Chinese troops to become active, a special correspondent in Chungking of the Manchester Guardian, who is now visiting India, expresses the opinion that this, unfortunately, is incorrect. “It seems that the supply of assistance to China cannot exceed a few tens of thousands of tons monthly, even after the reconquesc of Burma. ‘ he says, “until decisive weakening of the Japanese navy permits the Allies to use ports in Indo-China and South China.” He points out that the small number of British and Indian forces engaged at present in minor operations in Arakan need regular monthly

supplies equivalent to several times the highest freight total ever carried to China over the Burma Road. The correspondent says that while the authorities in New Delhi show the keenest interest in the earliest possible, reconquest of Burma in view of the moral and strategic values of the oil and rice resources, they conceive that the task of the Indian war effort is to develop India as quickly as possible into a great base for general supplies lor operations, wherever they may occur. He adds that the perfecting of the Indian defences has been virtually completed, and that there is a growing threat from the quickly developing strength of the Allied base in India, which is evidently making Japan more reluctant to dissipate her forces for major drives inside China. ARAKAN CAMPAIGN GENERAL DISAPPOINTMENT Recd. 7 p.m. London, April 8. “In view of the development of the attack against the narrow lines ol communication behind them and th< impossibility of clearing Mayu Peninsula to the full point before the monsoon, our troops, to put it bluntly, abandoned the Donbaik positions, jays the New Delhi correspondent g 7 The Times. “Our troops are now in the area from Indi, 15 miles north o. Donbaik, to a point east of Rathidaung. Fighting is reported to be still going on. British and Indian troop.continue to receive assistance from the air.” The correspondent adds: “The withdrawal is bound to increase the general disappointment over the Arakan campaign, which has largely arisen from imperfect appreciation of its limitations and supply difficulties. The originally planned attack against Akyab had to be given up througn unforeseen delays in the arrival of necessary equipment. Indeed, it is remarkable the Japs have not shown more initiative, because we put out oui neck and were allowed to draw it back The Japs, despite losses, arc characteristically operating in the jung'c with numbers of small detachments but the much shorter British lines al the moment seem capable ol resisting assaults.” JAPS ISSUE WARNING Recd. 10 p.m. Chungking, April 9. The Central News reports that as from March 1 the Japanese halved the food ration of 6.4 ounces of rice and flour daily to 3.2 for non-belligerent nationals at Hongkong, and advised them to denari voluntarily.