Evening star., 1941-01-05
By GLENN BABB.

HU ASSOCWLOu ~ SSS UuI tuH CftttJ
In Japan and China for 10 yearSJ
BY GLENN BABB.
Japan is striving to end her war
In China to free her for more prom
ising enterprises in Southeastern
Asia or meet the danger of other
conflicts, but is having little ap-
parent success.
China shows no signs of giving
in either to Japanese military pres
sure or peace gestures; bolstered
by financial help and moral en-
couragement from the United States
and Britain, she gives evidence OF
even more vigorous fighting quail
ties than in the past.
The China war will be three and
a half years old Tuesday. Only
two major wars of the last 100 years
the World War and the American
war between the States-lasted long
er. It's toll of life far above 100000,
and property, involving tragic dis
location for the most populous
nation on earth. already has given
it place among the most destructive
wars of history.
War Officially Over.
Japan takes the official position
that she no longer is at war with
China; that a treaty of peace signed
at Nanking November 80 ended the
struggle that began at Marco Polo
Bridge, near Peiping. the night of
July 7, 1887. But bloody battles
continue almost daily, although few
are chronicled abroad, and the death
toll mounts steadily.
The treaty the japanese signed
at Nanking was with a puppet
regime of their own creation. They
insist, however, it is the real gov
eminent of China, hence the China
incident" - their euphenism - is
"liquidated." 1t is admitted that
local rebels remain unsurpassed
in the west; that, in the words of
the Nanking treaty, ''Warlike opera
tions" continue, creating "a special
state of affairs"
The rebels are the armies of
Generalissimo Chang Kai-shek,s S
Chungking government, which have
never been more numerous or ap-
parently more ready to fight. The
war the japanese say is over may
continue for years.
Little to Show for Year.
The war in China was two years
old when the European war began.
Whether they can long continue
as separate conflicts is a question
agitating several governments.
Last September Japan formally
allied herself with Germany and
Italy in a pledge of common action
against any power not now a bel
ligerent which may enter either
conflict. The finger was pointed
at the United States.
Japan has little or nothing to
show for the last year of the China
war
From the beginning the Chinese
command has declared that the
conflict would be in three stages:
japanese invasion, stalemate, Chi
nese resurgence. The first phase,
the Chinese say, ended in October,
1888, when the Japanese captures
of HankoW and Canton carried the
tide of conquest to high water mark.
There have been two years of stale
mate. Chinese say that the third
phase, in which they hope to roll
the invaders back into the sea, is
approaching.
Occupied Area synaller.
At any rate, the area of Japanese
occupation actually is smaller than
q year ago. Since then the Japa-
nese have abandoned part of
Kwangsi Province in the southwest
from which they were trying to
blast China's communications lines
with the outside world. They ex-
planned that this region had no
more strategic value after the feeble
French government of Indo-C China
permitted them to establish air bases
there.
It is impossible to draw clear,
continuous line as the limit of
Japan's conquests in China. The
words front lines" are misleading
In writing of this war. But roughly
this is what Japan holds, from north
to south:
The principal towns of the Inner
Mongolian provinces of Chahar and
suiyuan; the principal cities OF
Hopeh, Shantung and Shansi, in
cluding all major ports and railway
lines; the principal cities along the
Yangtze as far as Ichang, 800 miles
inland, embracing all or parts of the
provinces of Kiangsu. Anhwei,
Hupeh and Honan. Kiangsi and
Human; a small slice of Northern
Chekiang; the south coast ports of
Annoy and Svatow with small por-
tions of the hinterland; Canton and
most of Eastern KWangtung Pro-
vince.
All Big Cities Held.
The shadowy, shifting boundaries
Of the Japanese zone inclose all or
parts of 13 of the "a provinces OF
China proper (eXcluding Outer Mon
rolia, Tibet and Manchukuo), some
600 900 square miles, or one-f1fth Of
the area of China proper. Perhaps
2OoOO0,000 Chinese of the total Of
10000, 900 dwell in this zone.
It includes ell Ctlna's cities Of L.
!