Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1932-02-03
ORIENTAL ARMIES
CONTAIN 4,613,0DO
Chinese Forces Number 2.
483,OOO Men-Japan Can
Command 100000.
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
An armed host greater than the mo-
bilized strength of the United States IN
the World War may be brought into
conflict under the colorS of China and
Japan as war clouds cast their shadow
in the Orient.
Latest figures available in Washing
ton credit China with having an &C
tive armed force of 2,483000 men, while
Japan has 100000 men in her standing
army and reserves of 900 600.
These statistics, however, do not
paint a true picture of the situation
the world would see If the two coun-
tries were to come to actual grips in
an exclusively two-country war to the
finish.
China's Forces Divided.
China's men in the field, instead OF
representing a cohesive armed camp,
are troops of various governments ana
factions running counter to each other
and perhaps incapable even IN tne
present major emergency of being weld
ed into a Single-purpose force.
As estimated in 1929 by the League
of Nations, the Chinese Army was com
posed of .8000 men, divided INTO ia
divisions. % brigades and Is regiments
of infantry; divisions, 4 brlgadeS ana
2 regiments of cavalry; IS regiments OF
artillery and Is battalions OF engineers
and army service corps.
Under a program OF denomination
of which the extent of its effectiveness
is indefinite here. these forces were 10
be reduced, demobiliZed or re-organlzed
so as not to include more than tota4
strength of 100000 men.
Equipment Is Problem.
Added to the completely Of control
and purpose of China'S forces is the
diSsimilarity in arms and equipment,
the lack of Chinese sources from which
to draw ammunition, and deficiency OF
industrial means to produce alrplanes,
tanks and other material.
Japan's war power, on the other
hand. includes not only a standing
army of 100000 well-trained and we'll
equipped men. but nearly two million
reserves backed by supplies Of ammuni-
ton, equipment and industrial means
of producing more.
Where China'S forces are mainly vol
unteers with a few provinces enforcing
compulsory service, Japan's permanent
army is based on a compulsory service
or conScript recruiting system.
Japan'S air force probably would
have an important place in any confiict
both because the country has more
thar 900 combat planes and China is
regarded as having neither planes nor
anti-aircraft defense.
Japans Navy Strong.
So far as navies are concerned, Japan
possesses the third navy in the world,
while China is wholly lacking in mod
ern sea forces. The navy of Japan
then would be mainly valuable for its
use in troop movement and for its
threats against such ports and cities as
are accessible.
Despite Japan'S military superiority
as measured by efficiency and ability
to throw a cohesive force into the field,
however One important factor in
Sino-Japanese conflict would be China's
capacity for passive resistance.
This is an influence that, since Chi
nese military forces could not reason
ably be expected to afford serious
problem for the japanese in a two
power war, might be AN ace up the
sleeve" and render the concrete results
of any conflict highly debatable. Along
with this are the FLASHING economic
interests of western powers which would
view with no little concern the posi-
bility of any partition OF China as
spells.