Evening star., 1939-11-24
Army0ccupyiing
Manning, Japan
Announces
Artillery, Planes
Reduced Defenses,
Invaders Declare
BACKGROUND

SHtHtSC COuSL UCSt " luhftOt UUu
began offensive north,Dard to-
1Uard Manning, strategic junction
OF railway lines and highways
oUer ,Ohich Gen. Chang Kai-
shek has been keeping his armies
supplied ,Dith 1Udr materials.
Chinese in retreat haze been de-
stroying all roads and bridges.
By the Associated Press.
HONG KONG, Nov. 24.-Japa-
nese Army headquarters here an
nounced tonight that japanese
forces had entered Manning, Kwang-
81 Province capital, early this after
noon.
The japanese troops moved into
the city, which lies on key supply
route from French Indo-China, after
artillery and air bombardment had
reduced its defenses, the announce
ment said. The way was further
prepared by thrusts of japanese
cavalry units which crossed the
shallow Pearl River, on which Nam
ming lies.
The japanese reported the out
skirts of Manning badly damaged. A
few Chinese troops were still in the
capital shortly before the japanese
entered.
Shortly before the japanese an
nouncement Chinese declared that
their troops were stoutlv resisting
the main force of invaders about 20
miles below the city.
80 Miles from Bay.
Manning is approximately 80 miles
north of the point on Tonking Bay
where japanese forces landed under
warship covering fire last week in a
new South China drive aimed at
cutting China's lifeline supply
routes.
A highway through Manning has
been one important supply source
for China, although a forked motor
and rail route through Yunnan
Province to both Indo-China and
British Burma still remains, more
than 300 miles inland over difficult
terrain.
Two American and five British
missionaries are believed to have
remained in Manning The Amer
leans, Seventh-Day Adventists, are
DR.. and Mrs D. D. Coffin of We
natchee, Wash. The Britons are
members of the London Bible
Church News Society.
Military observers said the Japa-
nese advance to Manning was the
fastest in this war since the capture
Of Canton October 81, 1898, nine
days after the japanese landed at
Bias Bay. japanese described the
operation as brilliant and astound-
ing"
japanese asserted Nanning's fall
meant severance of the route over
which Chinese e-controlled territory
receives 10 per cent of its arms and
general commodities. and gave the
japanese an important base for
future land and air operations.
LifeIines Laid in 1888.
The lifelines which Japan is de-
termined to cut in her drive into
Southwestern China were made fast
by Generalissimo Chang Kai-shek's S
government late in 1888
They were laid when it appeared
that the normal lines of communi-
cation between China and the out
side world-through the coastal
ports of the East-would be broken.
The Chinese, in their gradual re-
treat inland. moved their capital
successfully from Nanking to Han
kow to Chungking; the japanese,
while pursuing inland, at the same
time spread their power north and
south along the coast from Shang-
hal, eventually closing every normal
means of communication between
the inland Chinese forces and the
outside world.
Since the Chinese were cut off as
we'll from much of their normal do
mestic sources of supply new con-
tact with foreign sources became
necessary. The 1,000-mile Chung
king o-Burma highway was China's
answer to the problem.
French Railway to Running.
China already had an inland route
to Running, in Yunnan, her
southwesternmost province. This
was narrow-gauge railway, French
owned and completed in 1904, from
Hanoi, French Indo-C China.
However, this was a dead-end
route until China built the motor
highway, which has as its most i'm
portant leg the 50O-mile section
south from Chungking through
Kweiyang to Running This gave
Chunkgink direct connection to
the sea through Hanoi.
From Running the motor high
way forks west through Talifu and
Yunchang and then over mountain
ranges, some as high as 10000 feet,
to Lashio, in Burma, terminus of a
British railway running through
Mandalay t. the sea at Rangoon.
Thus since completion of the high
way it has been possible for China
to get supplies from either British
Rangoon or French Hanoi and ship
them into the heart of the country
at Chungking. The lifeline" imme-
diately had moral as well as ma
terial effect.
To cut this line the Japanese
forces would have to drive inland to
Running over 600 miles of difficult
territory. The first part, through
Kwangtung and Kwangsi Provinces,
appears relatively easy.