The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1939-1949, 1943-06-24
Ship Shortage
. Pinches Japan
Move to TakeMissing Links
In Chinese Rail Lines
Sign of Need.

CHUNGKING, CEINA.-Addition-
al evidence of the extent to. which
Japan feels the shortage of ship
ping is seen in various recent de-
velopments in territories she has oc-
cupied. - ~ =
On one hand there is again more
discussion in Japanese papers
brought in by special agents from
the enemy-held territories than at
any time in recent months about
the urgent necessity Of establishing
through railway communication, at
least from Korea, where Japan can
be reached over the narrow strait.
to Canton and Hong Kong.
Sections Of the Canton-Hankow and
Peiping-Hankow railways are still in
Chinese hands to prevent this and
the present enemy thrusts in the
vicinity of both these gaps may be
the beginning Of campaigns to elm
mate them, although at the moment
their scope does not indicate this.
Second, Japan is really trying to
develop industries in the occupied
areas of China for the first time.
Continental Base Planned. ..
A large number of textile plants
in Shanghai and Wusih, where no
raw material is available; have been
turned into scrap destined for re-
manufacture into heavier machines.
Iron from Lungyen in Chahar is be-
ing exploited in new blast furnaces
in Peiping, which had none before.
Japan obviously is trying to create
a continental base for her continent
tai armies, as she already has part
ly succeeded in doing in Manchuria.
Third, corroboratory news comes
also from Burma, where a bumper
crop of rice, formerly exported, is
rotting while other commodities are
scarce because Japan is unable to
provide ships. The japanese are
theoretically propagandizing the
change-over of go per cent Of Bur
mas cultivated area to cotton. Cap.
tured leaflets, which the Japanese
have distributed among the peas
ants, use persuasive arguments to
this end.
Apparently the Japanese intend
to create textile industry in Bur-
ma, where there is only one mill.
The Japanese propose to plant r..
000, 900 acres Of cotton, but the ex-
tent Of the change-over actually
achieved is unknown. Burma pre-
viously produced little cotton. for
conditions are not particularly suit
able for it.
War Does Queer Things.
The war is doing queer things to
japanese Imperialism. Before 1887
Japan was full Of projects for the
cooperative" development of Chi.
ma. Because the Chinese did not CO.
operate, Japan grabbed tremendous
chunks Of Chinese land and re.
sources. The expansion Of her wal
lsmachine prevented Japan from put.
ting any capital or technical skill
into her conquests, so she resorted
to stripping them. thus prejudicins
her chance of absorbing them and
creating total hatred and almost to-
tai resistance.
Now, when Japan has less capital
and less skill to spare than ever
before, she is making one great ef
fort at robbery to create capital
for development along the lines she
first planned, because the shipping
shortage and her war needs dictate
such course. She has reversed
for instance, her traditional deter
mination not to industrialize Korea
but to keep it as a raw materia
base, and Korea now is being indus
trialized rapidly. Japan once agar
is trying to win by flattery people
she has tried for five years to Gov
by force.
What success she will have re
mains to be seen.