Evening star., 1940-07-07
By Marquis ". Childs

1t Is obvious, must from now on depend
almost entirely for military supplies on
Soviet Russia. Government sources
here indicate that during the past three
years more essential materials have
come from Russia than from any other
source. And the Soviets have, of course,
a real self-interest in assuring continue
ance of resistance to Japan. If the jap
anese conquest should be completed,
Russia would have an aggressive and
powerful nation on her immediate bor-
der. 1t is particularly important for
| the Soviets to prevent this at a time
when German might is all-powerful in
| Europe.
But certain practical considerations
enter in here. Russian military supplies
up to $3.50, 900, according to sources
here-have reached Gen. Chang by two
different routes. One, and perhaps the
least important, has been the dificult
and hazardous land route which branches
OH from an extension of the Trans
Siberian Railroad. The highway from
the railhead passes through desert
country and is frequently all but i'm
passable.
Mostly Sea Traffic.
The bulk of Russian aid since 1887
has not gone over this long and dubious
route, but by sea to Rangoon, thence by
rail to Laichow and from there through
Burma by truck to Kinming and Chung
king, the latter a distance of nearly
1,5Oo miles. II the British were to yield
to japanese demands, this route for
Russian aid would be closed, and all
help perforce would go over the land
route.
Whatever the immediate future of the
present Chinese government, the build
ing of the Burma road will 60 down in
history as one of mankind's great
achievements. 1t was constructed under
the grave emergency of war without the
aid Of any modern road-building ma
chinery-over difficult mountain terrain
and through disease-ridden swamps.
Peasants carried the stone on their backs
and crushed it with hand tools And
all this was done in less than two years
No one who has travelled over the
Burma road to the capital, Chungking,
but has been deeply impressed by what
this undertaking meant in human toll,
suffering and patience. When Ambas-
sador Nelson T. johnson was in WASH
ington on leave year ago he showed
motion pictures of the Burma road Mr..
johnson, who had come out over this
highway built by hand, spoke Of it as a
miracle"
Almost as extraordinary Is the supply
service maintained over the Burma road
by young Chinese truck drivers who daily
risk their lives as calmly as any soldier.
They drive mostly at night, hiding from
Japanese bombers by day under the
great camphor trees that line the noun
famous sections of the highway. The
danger from slides and washouts is al
most as great as that from bombing and
machine cunning planes. Passing from
malarial heat to bitter cold high above
the clouds, existing on the scantiest and
simplest food, driver must be tough
to survive the Burma road
Superhuman Efforts.
Another heroic chapter in China's re-
cent history is the moving and reas-
sembling of substantial industry. Ma
chinery was transported, for the most
part, on barges up the Yangtze River
over falls and rapids inland as the gov
ernment fed before invading Japanese
armies. Here again superhuman effort
yoN11iroS n SceYoh1o ipII1cfrioc in
remote provinces where machinery was
virtually unknown. These reassembled
factories are being operated on a CO.
operative basis, a conspicuous example
of the extension of democratic controls
in wartime In marked contrast to the
practice in western nations.
How nearly this pick-aback industry
can supply Chiang's army with NUM-
tions no one can say. Certainly it can
not produce planes or artillery or tanks.
And it is highly doubtful if it can sup
ply ammunition for the million or more
men Gen. Chang has in the field. The
serious deficiency is gasoline. From the
beginning, China has had to depend en-
tirely on outside sources of supply for
this bulky material. With the roads
from the sea shut off the problem of
gasoline will be the most acute that the
Chungking regime must face.
Another factor Is morale. For three
years Chinese leaders have held a gov
ernment and an army together. 1t is
true, of course, that because of the low
standard of living the Chinese can exist
| at levels that would moan the extinction
of any western people. Nevertheless, the
effort to sustain the cause has been of
necessity never ceasing. And there have
been appeasers among the Chinese, in
fluential men who have argued that the
thing to do was to make the best pos
sible terms with Japan. These voices
will be raised more emphatically in view
Of the present threat.
But also there Is the question of
Japanese morale. When the war began