Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1938-11-06

Il - " '.a.l 8,
The men Dho Dorry at the heels
OF the japanese inU1derS Peasants,
armed 1Dith spears and given mill
tary training, they constantly
hardss the japanese invader, tear
up railroads, eUen inudde Jap
aneSe encdmpmentS Uhile Uedr-
ing japanese uniforms
A. P. Photo.
tonation wire leading into the fields
where the operator lay hidden.
After the supply of explosives had
been exhausted, the professors taught
their guerrilla pupils how to pull up the
inned rail spikes, especially on the
curves. This usually caused the tracks
to spread when a heavy locomotive
passed over.
Under optimum conditions it requires
from one to four days for the Japanese
to clear away the wreckage," remarked
the physics professor in his best labora-
tory tone.
This system of wrecking was employed
until May, 1888, when the Japanese be-
gan running light armored cars over the
line early each morning to spot the
points tempered with during the previ-
GUS night.
Wooden Railway Spikes.
80 now we have a new trick" said
the chemist. grinning, as he hshed from
his pocket a small piece of wood shaped
and painted to resemble rail spike.
The dummies are substituted for steel
pins removed, making it almost impos-
siole for the Japanese to discover the
mischief. This trick" has accounted
for 80 derailments south of Peiping in
the past three months, according to re-
sponsible Chinese military authorities.
AS rule the guerrillas do not try to
capture trains after they are wrecked,
as they usually carry full complement
of armed guards, but in three instances
the professors have been able to place
explosives in the boilers of abandoned
wrecks.
Train wrecking is only one of the
scientific accomplishments of these
'profs.' For most of their time is spent
in organizing "thieving parties" to carry
off rails and telephone wire. This is all
considered a part of Chinas economic
resistance, which its sponsors believe
will result in an increasingly heavy drain
on Japan's finances.
Give Two Nights a Week.
Evidenc!ng their belief m this kind of
resistance, 200 farmers in a village near
Paoting have agreed to devote two nights
week to demolition work under the
direction of guerrilla officers. In one
night they can tear up 10 rails, carry
them miles inland and bury them in
corn field. They can also chop down
mile (28 poles of telephone standards
and carry off insulators and wire.
Masquerading as enemy soldiers is per-
haps the most often successful of the
tricks used by the Chinese.
The remnants Of Chinese dare to- die
corps, which had scaled the walls and
fought their way to the center of the
Southwestern Hopei town of Pingshan
on the night of July Z, faced annihila-
ton when Japanese reinforcements ar
rived the next morning. Downing blood
stained uniforms removed from Japanese
corpses piled around them, "a Chinese
walked in single file past Japanese sem
tries, up the city wall ramp and lowered
themselves to safety on the outside be-
fore the ruse was discovered.
I saw these men and examined their
Japanese uniforms next day at Chinese
headquarters. Every guerrilla head
quarters visited had at least 100 Japa-
nese outfits, complete from steel helmets
to leather boots. The deception is often
heightened by Chinese officers speaking
excellent Japanese.
Run Great Risks.
Although Chinese guerrillas frequently
risk death by entering Japanese en-
campments in this manner, they run
greater risks when returning to theil
own lines.
A near disaster occurred few months
ago in Shansi when 9Th Route Army
Gen. Lin Piao and 600 of his men
all CARRIED as Japanese and riding Japa-
nese cavalry horses were returning from
a sortie in enemy territory. The mas
queraders were ambushed by Chinese
guerrillas, and number were wounded
including Gen. Lin.
Japanese soldiers have also tried the
masquerading trick, but with Indifferent
success, for Chinese say it is easy to spot
a Japanese by the characteristic swag-
gering shuttle acquired in childhood a
result of wearing wooden sandals.
The Japanese have been more success
full in deceiving the Chinese by filling
| trucks with uniformed rubber dummies
| (eee CHINA, Page C.3J