Montana labor news., 1939-08-31
HAS SIN0-JApANESE
SITUATION REACHED
4 TURNING POINT!

In order to reach a comprehensive
understanding of the present status
of the Sino-Japanese situation, a re-
view Of both the economic, political
and military situation becomes
necessary. It becomes also of con-
siderable importance to evaluate the
part other nations have in the
struggle and its final solution.
Japanese Plans
Some time prior to July 7, 1887,
when Nipponese troops occupied
Marco Polo Bridge, Japan had been
quietly buying up U. S. scrap iron,
oil, tanks and other war material,
preparing for a quick three-month
conquest of China. Like Germany
before the World War, she was fully
equipped and stood to win in a
quick decisive military victory. Be-
fore attempting a showdown in
China, she had concluded on good
information that the Western powers
were poorly organized and not apt
to give her much trouble. Her one
big question mark was Moscow. The
danger of Russia attacking her
armies from the rear through Outer
Mongolia or Manchukuo or make a
frontal demonstration on Tokyo in
an air attack was of the highest i'm
portance. To test out Moscow's
ability or inclination to fight, a sortie
was made on an island in the Amur
river dividing Manchukuo and 81
IBERIA. History has never fully ex-
planned why Litvinoff, one of the
worlds leading diplomats, took a
back seat on this occasion but it
convinced Japan that the Soviets
were too busy with their Swear
plans and not prepared to fight.
China Wakes Up
With the heroic defense Of Shang-
hal, the Chinese troops not only put
new hope into the Chinese popula-
ton, but actually made it possible
for a united China to secure big
loans from other nations to some
what make up for the lack of war
equipment as compared with Japan.
Furthermore, the Little Brown Men
did not subscribe to what is termed
as Civilized warfare which even
tually turned most of the world
against them. With the loss of all
her coastal towns and most other
large cities, it is Of a significant i'm
ortance that: while all of her main
armies have constantly retreated,
not a has yet surrendered. This
is Of the highest Importance. Also
the fact that ten million guerrilla
warriors are training in the interior
in three groups to go into early
service is the coming nightmare to
confront Japan. One-third of these
are to be used as mobile troops
(guerrillas), one-third as positional
troops, and one-third as reserves. In
previous battles, Chinese troops have
been much the heaviest losers, but
this is being reversed now through
recent guerrilla tactics. The 9th
Route Army, master of guerrilla
fighting, consider a loss of l to 4 of
japanese to be below standard and
the biggest part of its equipment
consists of captured japanese war
material.
Japanese Gains
Japan has occupied all the coast
towns as well as most of the large
inland cities; but, while she holds
two-thirds of the railroads, outside of
a 20-mile strip on each side, she has
little or no authority. She has had
a hard time to secure Chinese adj
ministrators for occupied territory
as they are being continuously dis
posed of through assassinations or
guerrilla troops. Her position is so
precarious that a recent edict issued
in Manchukuo makes it a treason
able offense to grow any crops over
three feet in height within a certain
distance of a railroad on the ground
that it offers protection to guerrillas
and snipers. OF her initial gains she
has received but little of lasting
benefit. Through her diplomatic
blunders and some reverses on the
battlefield she has lost considerable
prestige and can no longer claim to
be invincible. She has even con-
~ n 10Y