Evening star., 1941-10-03
Chunqshu

In China and Japan alike Chang
sha is word to conjure with. This
key city of Central China is Signifi-
cant not only for its economic and
strategic Importance but also as an
outstanding matter of face" Just
two years ago, a large Japanese
Army drove southwark at Changsha
from its base at Yochow on the
Yangtse River, hundred miles
away. The drive was a complete
f1aSco. Outflanked by numerically
superior Chinese forces, the Japa-
nese communications were cut and
the invaders were badly defeated.
Only remnants of the expedition
regained the Yangtse line.
This major victory over the in
vaders did much to bolster Chinese
morale during an especially trying
period, while it correSpondingly hurt
japanese prestige and has ranked
with the Japanese Army ever since.
To erase that blot on its record has
been an abiding purpose of the Japa-
nese high command. Also, home
politics seems to have been factor
in the decision to repeat the drive on
Changsha. With the army leaders
at Toxic vigorously opposing pro-
pOSalS for a more moderate foreign
policy, a resounding victory in China
would have come in handy. There
fore, when the summer rains gave
place to the fine weather of early
autumn, the venture was tried
This second drive on ChangSha
was much more formidable than it's
predecessor. Five first-line divisions
took part, and the spearhead of the
drive was tipped by crack shock
units already noted in earlier cam
paignS. From the very start, the
Chinese resisted desperately, we'll
aware of the stakes involved. Stra-
logically, ChangSha is the focal point
for railways and highroads in the
great block of territory south of the
YangtSe which is still under the con-
troll of Chungking. 1t is also the
collecting and distributing center for
the richest rice crops of Central
China, which are needed to feed the
Chinese armies. Thus, economics,
strategy and prestige combined to
render Changsha a vital prize.
Just what happened in this brief
but intense campaign is as yet hard
to piece out from conflicting military
communiques. The Japanese GER
tainly did reach Changsha, but they
themselves admit that they quickly
evacuated it and are now pretty we'll
back to their YangtSe base. The
japanese high command announces
blandly that this retirement is vol
untary because the troops have
accomplished their purpose of
smashing the Chinese in Human
Province That, of course, is alto
gether too lame an excuse, especially
when those same japanese Army
spokesmen were emphasizing Chang
ShaS high Importance at the start Of
the campaign. On the other hand,
it is well to discount Chinese claims
of having dealt the invaders "a
debacle many times worse than
1889" This time the japanese do not
seem to have been encircled and cut
off, as their Spearhead was two years
ago. 1t is therefore likely that they
will conduct their retreat in good
order and with moderate losses.
Nevertheless, Chungking is juSti-
fled in celebrating a great victory
with typical Chinese trimmings,
including a million firecrackers.
ChangSha is again in Chinese hands.
Chungking's hold over the rich
south-central provinces remains un-
shaken. The Chinese armies have
shown their fighting qualities, and
their morale is heightened at the
very moment when increased aid
from Britain and America is in the
off1ng.
The news from Changsha must be
bitter pill for the militarists at
Toxic. 1t emphasizes once more how
deeply the japanese Army is begged
down in China. This is the great
handicap to aggressive schemes
against either Siberia or Southwest
Asia. Of that, Changsha is a grim
reminder that cannot be blinked.