Evening star., 1941-09-05
Chino Hits Back

IhIno Hits boCk
The Japanese evacuation Of the
port city of Foochow indicates the
growing difficulties Japan Is facing
in China. Japanese propaganda tries
to give the impression that Chinese
resistance has been driven back into
the remote interior, with the seacoaSt
firmly in japanese control. The loss
of Foochow, following the similar
loss of the port of FutSing last week,
reveals the holloWness of this thesis.
Both ports are in the province OF
| Fukien, in Central China, about mid
way between Shanghai and Canton.
Last spring the japanese launched
a campaign along this stretch of
coast in order to plug number OF
leaks through which supplies for
China could be smuggled through
the Japanese naval blockade. Nearly
all the ports we're then occupied. But
Japanese control never extended into
the mountainous hinterland, so Jap
aneSe occupation was confined to
garriSons of the ports. strung along
the coast like string of beads. That
| string has now been broken, and
blockade runners again can land
supplies for transport to the uncon-
quered interior. 1t should be under
or no hn
been able to penetrate the belt of
hilly and mountainous country which
extends right across South-Central
| China from Tibet to the sea. So long
as this barrier remains unbroken,
Japan's hold on the coastal fringe
from Shanghai southwark must re-
main precarious.
Chinese activity in FNukien Province
is only one indication of similar
stirring on other fronts. Stimuli
taneous Japanese troop concentra-
tions in Indo-China and Manchukuo
have meant the withdrawal of many
| divisions from the Chinese front. Not
any new japanese offensive in
China; it is also making possible
| Chinese counteroffenSiveS on an in
creasingly important scale. The
more Japan is involved in Indo-
China and along the Siberian border,
the more likely Chinese counter
strokes become. The island empire
simply does not have the equipment
and first-line troops to undertake
operations elsewhere without weak
ening her hold in China itself.
This is the grim nemesis which
has confronted Japan ever since its
invasion of China begged down into
chronic stalemate. The govern
ment of Free China established in
the mountainous interior at Chung
king and headed by Chang Kai-shek
disposes of trained man-power far
exceeding in numbers the japanese
invaders. Only the lack of mech
anized equipment compels it to
adopt a defensive role. With ade-
quate tanks, planes and heavy artil-
lery, the Chinese could leave the
shelter of their mountains and
launch attacks on the japanese oc-
cupierS of the northern and central
fiatlands or upon the Japanese gar
risons strung along the central and
southern coasts. Even in their main
zone of occupation, the japanese
hold has never been complete. 1t
is well said that japanese occupation
extends no farther than a sentry's
! bullet will carry from the outskirts
of garrisoned towns or on either side
of the railway lines. Well-organized
Chinese guerrillas carry on a never
ending campaign of sniping and
sabotage which keeps the invaders
perpetually insecure and impairs
their morale.
If the present Chinese break
through to the seacoast at Foochow
can be maintained and extended, it
will open up an important supple
mentary avenue for supplies from
abroad which will strengthen
China'S military power and render
large-scale offensives more feasible
if Japanese troops have to be further
withdrawn. Chinese successes in
F'ukien Province are thus of more
than local Importance. They must
certainly give another headache to
the harassed statesmen in Toxic,
faced with decisions which may in
volve Japans entire future.