Evening star., 1943-05-09
By the National Geographic Society.

China. It's neck, westward thrust into a
slim line along the Yangtze River, broad
ems into grotesque head, pointed toward
Chungking, capital of Free China
In the territory under japanese bayo-
nets is captive population estimated
at 5000 900 people. The enemy holds
the chief Industrial cities of the nation
the old, developed farm regions and the
vital outlets OF most of the important
communication lines in rivers, roads and
railways. He has blocked of the back
door entrance to China by way of the
Burma road, and broken into the vesti-
bule of Southwest China in Yunnan
Province. With French Indo-China in
japanese hands on the south, formi-
dable wall has been raised between the
republic and most of the outside world
Fighting China Hangs On.
Yet fighting China still holds grimly
to nearly nine-tenths of its territory,
counting the outer dependencies of Mon
golia, Tibet and Sinkiang There are
wide breaks in the japanese lines of
penetration. and regions behind the lines
in which Chinese guerrillas and regular
army men harass the enemy, with the
cooperation of entire villages.
Lease-lend supplies reach the govern
ment from India by way of the dangerous
air transport route over high mountain
ranges. Other materials, though limited
by the tremendous distances and fuel
power problems, are rolled in from Soviet
Russia over the Northwest road, through
a region of ancient caravan trails once
linked with the travels of Marco Polo.
Some trade in vitality needed commodities
is even carried on between occupied and
unoccupied areas, as officials of both
sides wink at the Smuggling"
In Free China, belated industrial
revolution is under way. Into still primi-
tive central and western provinces 80 to
40 million people are estimated to have
moved from the eastern battle regions.
These provinces are sparsely settled for
the most part but rich in undevelopei
and as yet hardly more than suspected
natural resources. In cart and truck, by
river junk or on foot, the army of war
time pioneers has brought with it ma
chimes, tools and materials, the skills
and muscle power, by which a new way
of life in being developed within the
framework of an ancient, unbroken cul-
ture.
Nearly 1000 private factories, with 30
or more workers each, are reported now
operating in Free China. Scattered
widely, often hidden in caves for greater
safety from bombing raids, they turn out
such desperately needed products as mu-
nitions and chemicals, blankets and med
ical supplies. The smaller, more or less
movable units of the famed Chinese In
dustrial Co-operatives number more
than 1900 in 16 provinces and are
found even in Japanese-occupied areas.
They are supported by central-govern-
ment funds and guerrilla aid, and count
their contributions to the general war
effort in variety of goods, from power
equipment to medical cotton, from
matches, soap and clothing to plows and
trucks.
Industrial cities have mushroomed: !:
new technical schools and colleges have
opened; experimental stations and labo-
ratories for factory and farm established
to promote use Of local raw materials
and ersatz substances that must substi-
tute for missing natural resources and
unavailable foreign supplies.
Chinese Trade Space for Time.
On the relief map of China one sees
why the japanese, despite their superior
ity in tanks, artillery. heavy arms and
airplanes, have been able to overrun only
a tenth of China's territory. The tide
of japanese conquest which rolled over
the Great Northern Plain of China and
into the open valleys of the lower Yellow
and Yangtze has been slowed down in