The Washington times., 1932-02-06
FOOD RUNS LOW,
NATIVE RIOTS
I. A MENACE
Shanghai Defending Force
Due for Rout.by Nipponese,
NeutraIS Think
Continued from Page y

with Nanking, westward OF
Shanghai.
This morning. while Yanks of
the Thirty.first Infantry marched
from the Chaumont's dock across
half of the Japanese defense zone
and up the Marking Road to their
billetS, japanese heavy bombing
planes with hundred pounds Of
explosives suspended from the
lower wings sailed majest1cally
overhead.
Chinese anti-aircraft guns
popped away at them and shells
fell in the international city.
Chinese anti.aircraft shells are
not provided with time fuses, and
explode only when they land and
whenever they land-that Is, II
they are not duds, as half OF
them are.
It must not be forgotten, how
ever, that one of these same shells
copped one japanese bomber on
the wing yesterday and brought
1t down with the remainder OF its
bombs. Foreign residents don't
like it. Think what will happen
II the Chinese wing another Jap
aneSe bomber and bring 1t and It's
heavy body down in Shanghars
crowded business section.
e.. Foreigners join the Chinese IN
a protest against the Japanese
military planes flying over the
International city.
Chinese Custer Seen Near
Just about all the non-Japanese
military experts in Shanghai, OF
whom there is great big hattuI
right now, are convinced that the
DAYS of the Chinese regular army
in and around Shanghai are num-
bered.
: And therein, boys and girls,
lies a new threat to the comfort
and well-being of the thousands
Of American and other foreign
residents who make their homes
In this battle-torn metropolis.
If it's true that China's army
is due for a hasty exit from its
entertainments in Chapel and
elsewhere, and because Of what
rye heard this morning I
wouldn't bet against that at any
odds, trouble and more trouble
is looming in this quaint and
sprawling old town Of a nature
that foreign authorities and resi-
dents of the International City
dislike thinking about.
Menace to Foreigners
those Chinese troops are going
to have to go somewhere. They're
q brave crowd and don't mind
going to their ancestors when
duty calls, but there never was
an army yet that didn't have to
retreat in time of need.
The only trouble with this par
ticular little situation is that they
may have to retreat into the In.
ternational Settlement and then
watch out
Arrangements have been made
to receive these Chinese soldiers
in the international city if they
will throw down their arms, but
right here is where probably the
most serious menace to foreign
residents of Shanghai arises.
Food Riots Feared
The streets of the Interna-
tional concession are crowded
and packed with several hundred
thousand refugees, now suffering
the pangs of hunger and cold
and walking the pavementS bare
footed.
Rice shops have already begun
to be looted and food riots are
expected.
What will happen If these cold
and hungry and desperate
thousands Of refugees are in.
creased by thousands of fleeing
Chinese soldiers is just the thing
that is disturbing the sleep Of
the foreign authorities-that Is.
when the shooting stops long
enough to let them get any sleep
At all.
81 Army Split Seen
Now, to let you In on the ex-
pert military opinion I garnered
this morning, it seems that
strong japanese drive southwest
ward from the Yangtze River in
the direction Of the Whangpoo
River but on a line west of
Shanghai could be easily accom-
plished with the land, sea and air
forces the Japanese now have at
their command.
Such a drive would split the
Chinese regular forces in half,
forcing the western half west.
ward into the marshes and low.
lands in the vicinity of Suchow
and Lake Taihu.
It would also cut the Nanking
railroad, thus disrupting rail
communications between Nanking
and Shanghai.
Big Problem Faced
Further south such a drive
would cut the Shanghai-Hang-
Chow Railroad, preventing re-
inforcements from that direction.
Whatever forces remain to the
east of that line would be cut
off entirely from the rest of
China.
Under a rain of Japanese air
force bombs there would be moth
ing left for the Chinese de-
tenders of the North railway sta
tion to do but flee across the
barriers into the international
city.
Now maybe you've got some