Evening star., 1938-12-04

Japanese Advance
Slowed by Storms
And Guerri||as
Offensive on Yon9tze
Appears to Be
Begged Down
BACKGROUND


In fighting since Julp, 1857,
japanese forces haze conquered
North China, Canton region in
South China and haze driven
deeply into China's interior alono
Yanotze Riuer. From Marking,
combined army and napy forces
marched to Kiukiang and dnallv
Hankoio, China's provisional cap
ttal Chinese government forced
to flee to Chungkino. metropolis
Jar npriDer.
By the Associated Press.
SHANGHAI, Dec. 3.-Winter is
lighting for the Chinese and after
SIS days Of warfare in China jap.
anese forces in the Yangtze Valley.
principal theater Of the conflict.
appeared tonight to be at least
temporarily begged down.
Blizzards sweeping in from the
Mongolian plains of the northwest,
overcast skies and the erratic re-
sistance OF hundreds of thousands
Of Chinese regulars and guerrillas
had slowed up the Japanese along
the Yangtze and elsewhere in the
vast land they were attempting to
"pacify."
The conflict had become more
than ever a struggle for control of
long railways in the Chinese in
terror.
Contests for Rail Control.
Sharing importance with the
Yangtze Valley fighting were con-
tests for control of the Lunghai and
Peiping -Hankow Railways in the
north and the resurgence of Chinese
resistance in South China.
In South China the invaders were
bitterly opposed in their efforts to
march north along the Canton
Hankow Railway to close the gap
between Canton and Hankow, occu-
pied by the Japanese in late Oc-
tober.
Japanese based on Hankow were
lighting to solidify and expand
vast front curving from the Peiping-
HankoW Railway on the north
around to the west of Hankow,
thence south and east to the
Kiukiang -Nanchang Railway.
In the north the struggle pivoted
on Japanese threat to cross the
great bend Of the Yellow River for
an invasion of Shensi Province, Chi
nese Communist stronghold. where
the Lunghai Railway meets high
way routes of supplies from Soviet
Russia.
Japan's Force Put at 800, 1000.
Chinese sources at Chungking, the
deep interior capital Of the Chinese,
said the Japanese forces in China or
Chinese waters amounted to IS di-
visions 100000 strong, 600 planes
and 100 Warships.
Since the October 26 occupation of
Hankow the Japanese had advanced
southwark along the Canton-Han-
koW Railway about ITS miles only
10 be fought to a Standstill or
actually thrown back in the last two
weeks after they had entered Human
Province, bound for its capital,
Changsha.
Today the Japanese were reported
about 55 miles north of Chanesha.
About $50 miles to the east of this
sector there was another concentra-
ton OF Japanese manpower on the
MISUNDERSTANDING Railway at
Sunkiapu. within 30 miles of Nam
chang, kiangsi provincial capital.
Month Advance Under Is Miles.
The Kiangsi force had made less
than a 15-mile advance in the last
month, about SO miles since Kiuki-
ang was captured July 26.
The mountainous countryside
through which the japanese main
tanned a tenuous link between the
kiukiang-Nanchang and Canton
Hankow Railways was almost a no.
man's-land. with Chinese penetrat-
Ing into the triangular area south
OF Hankow bounded on two sides by
the Yangtze.