Evening star., 1942-05-19
China Seen Facing
Grave Threat Of
Jap Offensive
Chunekine Communique
Disclosed Continued
Fighting in Yunnon

By the Associated Press.
CHUNGKING, May ia
grave threat is facing China and
the real japanese offensive may
be against this country, a Chi
nese government spokesman de-
clared today, as an army COM
munique disclosed continued
heavy fighting on the Burma
Yunnan front and development
of heavy japanese attacks in
Chekiang Province on the east
coast.
A further Chinese gain in Yum
nan, where the Chinese have thrown
back the invaders from their thrust
up the Burma Road at the Salween
River, was announced by the COM
munique, however.
1t said the Chinese, after wiping
out an enemy force at Hungmushu
on the west side of the Salween,
had continued to avance westward
and had routed another force at
Lungkiangchiao, east of Tengyueh
Tengyueh is about IS miles west Of
the river and about the same dis
tance north of Lungling on the
Burma Road.
Heavy Fight Continues.
About $50 miles to the south,
where the japanese are attempting
offensives between the Salween and
the Mekong, the communique said
heavy fighting was continuing and
that severe casualties had been suf-
fered on both sides at Mong Hal and
Mong Lin. southeast of Kentung
and Kongkum and Taikao along
the Salween.
In Chekiang 1t was announced the
japanese had made progress, oc-
cupying Chuki, about 40 miles south
Of Hangchow, after bitter street
fighting.
The spokesman said the threat
against China was very grave" and
that she needed urgent help in the
form of planes from her Allies.
The Japanese have intensified op-
erations in Chekiang. the coastal
province below Shanghai, the
spokesman told a press conference,
and are moving more troops into
Burma.
The Burma Yunnan border will
witness large-scale fighting" he pre-
dicted. The situation is very grave"
Map of Jap Planes Cited.
The spokesman said the Chinese
government had come into posses
sion of an officially approved jap
anese map, published in Toxic,
showing the projected scope of
Japan's so called co prosperity
sphere and that this included r" of
Siberia and India.
He declared the map deserves
as much attention as the notorious
Tanaka Memorial" "a supposed
memo on Japanese plans for DOM
ination of the Pacific. attributed to
the late Baron Giichi Tanaka but
held by the japanese to be a for
gery).
An army spokesman said jap
anese reinforcements were pouring
into Burma and that not all yet have
crossed into China's Yunnan Prov
ince. A concentration of SOC enemy
planes in Burma, he said, Is on a
scale "out of proportion with their
land operations"
He said bitter fighting was in
progress in Chekiang and that the
japanese were continuing to mass
troops in Northern Honan Province,
above the Yellow River. He eSti-
mated japanese air strength at
Hankow at about 100 planes,
Dream of . Lunatic."
The spokesman said the map of
Japan's projected sphere ito us
seems to be the dream of lunatic,
but the Japanese say 1t represents
their settled national policy with
even divine sanction"
He said its western boundary ran
up the Persian Gulf, then to the
Caspian Sea and on to the Ural
Mountains.
ct goes without saying that
China, Indo-China, Thailand, the
Malay Peninsula, Burma, India,
Iran and the whole of Siberia are
within the sphere" he said.
1T also includes huge oceanic
area embracing the Philippines,
Netherlands Indies, New Guinea,
the northern tip of Australia with
Port Darwin and Cape York, Guam,
Yap and the whole of Sakhalin
Island"
In reply to questions, he said it
did not include the Hawaiian
Islands.
Big Forces Concentrated.
Noting that in the southern direc-
tion the japanese goal already was
realized except for New Guinea and
Northern Australia, he declared:
According to present indications
the next item on the japanese pro-
gram Is a major offensive against
China. The enemy has concen-
trated considerable forces for an at
tack on Chekiang with the avowed
purpose of destroying any possible
springboard for an attack against
Japan.
AT the same time, he Is sending
more troops to Burma.
The border of Yunnan and north
ern Burma will witness during the
next few weeks fighting on an even
larger scale than we have seen so far.
The immediate future is very
grave. China needs all the help
our friends can send. They must
send that help with utmost haste.
Otherwise, the United Nations may
have to pay double or treble the
price for future recovery"
Macarthur fnr President