Detroit evening times., 1945-11-07
WORLD
In REVIEW
BY Maj. Gem
BarroWa

Barrows
THE situation in north China
seems confused, and its issue
still may be uncertain.
But in trying to judge IL we
have an advantage that is by no
means present in all countries
under foreign military occupa-
ton.
This advantag, is that our
news correspondents are there
in sufficient numbers, with free-
dom to tell us all they can learn
OF what is happening.
This freedom OF reporting does
not extend to Manchuria nor to,
northern Korea, where the Rus.
sian armies protect their policy
OF secrecy, but ii does cover
China proper.
THE reports of these news
L men. at the m ON [, are
somewhat pessimistic.
II is obvious that previous ne
gotlations between the govern
ment of China and the Commu-
mist organization have broken|
down. and our reporters arel
? somewhat appalled, by the pos.
sibility of a real civil war.
| think il is worth keeping inl
mind that warfare between
Chinese elements does not meant
what il means in some other
countries.
IL is not warfare TO the death.
The Chinese are convinced ne.
gotiators. They prefer compro-
mise TO the costs Of total victory.
Negotiations do not ceasel
during Chinese hostilities.
They are doubtless contin, -
now. and may have bet
chance of agreement between
Chungking and Yenan, which is
Still Communist headquarters,
as the recognized government
Increases its display OF strength,
and as the Communist cause
weakens.
MARSHAL CHANG is push
'A ing his armies in great
sweep 10 bring all China under
united military control.
He now has better armies
than China has ever had. be.
cause many of his divisions
were reorganiZed, adequately
armed, and even trained by
American officers in the war on
Japan.
Ali of South China appears TO
have been regained from the
j apan ese, who have Suren-
dered.
The same may be true OF
most OF the great valley OF the
YangtSe River.
North China Is still broken
up by Communist concentra-
tionS in many places. and par.
ticularly in the important prov.
ince Of Shantung. which thruSts
out in a pininSula between the
Yellow and China Seas.
DCT even IN North China the
- Communist armies are in q
retrograde movement.
Back OF them lies Inner Mon
golia. within which territory the
Chinese. before the attack by
Japan, had created several new
provinces.
Interest now centers around
the most settled of these prov
inceS, which is Suiyuan.
II lies north of the Great
Wall and north Of the famous
bow" of the Ho River.
The capital city Of this PROF.
ince is kweisui. which is at
$50 miles north of Yenan. ~"
a possible 400 miles west OF
Peiping.
These distances in a way in
dicate the area within which
the military situation is acute.
Measured by the vast extent OF
China. this area is not large
one, nor are the distances so
great that. If the railroad from
Peiping into Suiyuan is cut by
the Communists, they can not
be covered by the extraordinary
maching power Of Chinese SOL
dlers.
THE vital positions in this
area are now being occupied
b Marshal Chiang's armies, and
they are the cities of Peiplng,
Tientsin and the coast north
ward TO the Great Wall at
Shanhaikwan. which is the
door into Manchuria.
This Chinese occupation was
made possible by our sending
into il a full corps OF United
States Marines.
These marines went there TO
assure the peaceful surrender
of the Japanese armed forces,
who would not capitulate TO the
Communists, probably through
fear Of being massacred.
As 1T is American policy to
"A withdraw our marines as
soon as they can be replaced by
Chinese troops. with whom we
are allied, our air transport
service has been bringing in
Chinese divisions which in some
cases have come from as far
as French Indo-China.