The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1939-1949, 1944-12-14
News ~;
BEHIND
THENE;5I|l;l!$;||IE51
Chinese Cabinet Change
will Aid the Wax
ByhUL MALLoN .

s.o,o China has been bad lately,
ascnnt;ne. Generalissimo Chang
Kaishek's thorough shaking out
of his cabinet. A..
From the inside, it appears that
the generalissimo, having Deen
detrimental in ousting our Cen
\ Stilwell and thus having
syred face with his own people
3nr fhe military failures, is now
setting ready to cooperate more
Closely with the other United Ma
tions At least this is what might
be termed the inner OFFICIAL vie"
here. ..-
The motives behind the Still.
well withdrawal. unexplained al
the time. thus now become more
f,,iIv evident. The whole panoplY
of mys.ifying news from that
front thus becomes apparent.
Chianq has always been suspl-
cious of the Chinese Commu-
nists.
While they are fighting on his
side with their armies far off In
the north, he actually has had
soldiers detached from his own
war effort on the Japanese front
to watch them. True, the Com
munists have not been much OF a
deterrent to the japs. While some
published estimates OF their
strength run as high as 100000,
numbers are worthless in gaug-
ing any Chinese fighting forces.
No one knows exactly now
many troops the Commies have,
except that these have been sui
ficient to repel few jap attacks.
MANY whom they count as soldiers
are actually farmers who run to
action in an emergency. Others
are unframed civilians, and the
term "bandit" has been applied to
a few in the past. r
d Now by kicking from his cabinet
~ strongest Communist ele-
hts, Chang is falling in line
Nm the ideas of offiliadom here
for more coherent action son that
front.
However, the change can be in
terpreted as more political than
military so far.
Improved Leadership
Those who know the new war
minister say they expect his lead
ership to bring some improve
ment'' in Chinese fighting, but
very few people in this country
appreciate the difficulties he is
facing. ..
Frankly, it must now be said
that no satisfactory Chinese mill
tary effort has developed any
where lately. The action on the
Salween river front may be an
exception, but there we trained
the officers and men. 1t is time
to admit also that China is mostly
in Jap hands. All of the industry
and much of the agriculture went
long ago. The seacoast is closed.
Most of the internal railroads
are controlled by the japs. -
We are today flying in from
India through the only contact
the Chinese have with the out
side world more materials Of
war than were carried on the
Burma road before the japs cut
il.
But our planes flying in a load
of gasoline for instance probably
sconsume as much as they can
ferry as a load. The limitations
= kon our assistance are there
S2ore evident, and likely to con-
tinue indefinitely, although we
have greatly increased our sup
plies in the last five months.
Then again we must recognize
that her armies are sometimes led
by what we used to call "pro-
vincial war lords" many of whom
are politicians not strictly sup
porting the Chungking govern
ment.
The Chinese internal econom-
&c distribution system has not
improved much since before the
war. when news of vast starva-
tion was a world sensation most
annually. Initiation is unbeliev-
able. and indeed most authori-
ties suspect China cannot sur
vIve financially even if peace
comes soon. Certainly the CEN
fral government is none too sure
of itself.
But as these internal inefficient
cles' olssenSlons, weaknesses are
native to the Chinese. so also has
oeen their cold, valorous spirit
Oh resistance against the con-
Queror. While the difficulties
pIdctically amount now to in
lerna! decentralization. they are
not likely to lead to a collapse
vi the fight on that front.
Inc Jap drive in China luckily is
rath' All advices here prove
ratner conclusively that the Jap
strategy is directed only toward
r1ullng central China off from
nurIna-lf it can be done. But
even II this mission is ACCOMPLISH
- tley Will then have long lines
communications running back
kuch extensions are really invi-
.dtionS for the special tvpe of
1shtlng the Chinese do best
Chlang is not sufficiently eo,,;nned
t .or battle, indeed could rot pro
SGct I'VE or six of our Valuable
90 o. tlelas Which have now been