Evening star., 1942-05-23
Jopon's Big Push in Chino

~
Recent warnings from Chungking
that Japan was planning a major
effort to knock free China out Of the
war are being abundantly justified
Although fighting on the Yunnan
front seems to have been temporarily
stabilized, this may be largely due to
the beginning OF the monsoon rains.
The presence Of large Japanese
forces there. backed by reinforce
mentS pouring into JapaneSe-o e-occu-
pied Burma and Indo-China, COM
pels the Chinese high command to
watch that front closely and to di-
vert there men and equipment that
may soon be needed nearer to their
capital.
For the japanese are stirring all up
the valley of the Yangtze, the mighty
river which is Japan's highway into
the heart of China. Troops concen-
trated at Yochow, the japanese base
on the middle Yangtze, may portend
fourth drive on the city Of Chang
Sha, while farther west another
troop concentration at Nanchang
could herald a simultaneous flanking
drive toward the same goal. Such
operations can certainly be expected
if Japan is opening a general often
sive in China, and must be resisted
by the Chinese with all their avail
able strength.
Whatever may be the overall
Japanese plan of campaign, their
most vigorous moves for the moment
are far to the westward along the
Central Chinese coast. Some days
ago the japanese opened a four
pronged drive into Northern Che
kiang, the coastal province which lies
south of metropolitan Shanghai. The
local Chinese forces are putting up
stiff resistance, but the strategic
situation has been further compli-
Gated by a sudden japanese landing
at the port city of Foochow, although
the Chinese claim they are repulsing
this assault
These twin japanese moves dupli-
cate similar campaign made year
ago, when Northern Chekiang Prov
ince was penetrated and Foochow
was occupied. Later. both gains
were abandoned, perhaps because
Japan was looking southwark and
preparing for her war with the
United Nations. Now, the desirable
ity of dominating all coastal China
has become pressing for various
reasons.
First on the list can be placed the
need of eliminating airfields in that
region which could be used as bases
for bombing raids on Japan itself.
Our surprise raid on Toxic and other
key Japanese cities was a warning
which the japanese have taken to
heart. Ever since then, the coastal
regions of western China have been
Systematically surveyed by japanese
aircraft, and all known or likely
airfields have been bombed. Now
japanese ground forces are attempt
ing to move in and occupy the coun-
try. They do so, not only to fore
stall hostile air raids, but also to seal
up the last Chinese avenues of COM
munication with the outer world.
Despite the japanese naval blockade,
considerable amounts of supplies
have trickled into China along this
stretch of coast, several hundred
miles in length, and with many small
ports and coves into which junks and
light craft can come to deliver con-
traband cargoes. Foochow is the
most important port OF entry for
Free China, because, In addition to
its landing facilities, it taps a river
system which extends far into the
mountainous hinterland.
If Japan has really resolved to
knock out Free China, the task is an
enormous one. This is shown by
the fact that, from the Chekiang to
the Yunnan fronts, the distance is
nearly 1,5O0 miles as the crow flies.
Even in the so-called occupied parts
of China the Japanese hold firmly
little more than the navigable rivers,
railroad lines and main highways. 1t
is hard to see how huge China can
be conquered while Japan is fighting
other powerful foes all the way from
India to Australia Japans strength