THE DRAGON AWAKES

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 5, Issue 22, 27 February 1942, Page 4

THE DRAGON AWAKES

THROUGHOUT the whole of the far-flung Pacific war zone, it has to be admitted that the only nation making successful contact with the Japanese, are the Chinese. From the grip of the Lion, has been torn piece by piece, Hong Kong, Malay, Singapore and a thousand adjoining islands which went to make up our far-eastern possessions. But China, the despised; China, the outcast; China, the land of market gardeners and laundymen, has thrown back the forces of Nippon, has flung defiance in the face of the Bully of Asia, and even now has taken the initiative in Thailand and is also pouring troops into Burma. The famous 'incident' which was destined to develop into a major war, has in spite of its destruction and its misery given to China the birth of a new soul, a new and wonderful confidence, which if backed to the full by her four hundred millions, can know no defeat. The Celestial Empire of the ill-fated Manehus has been rudely awakened from its slumber of ages. To-day unity binds its inexhaustable man-power together, against a hated and ruthless foe, and the enemies of Japan are automatically the Allies of China. From a review of the situation in the east, it is remarkable that the desperate picture depicts only the Chinese in offensive action against the Japanese invaders. What does this imply? It simply means that either the Chinese military strategyis superior to our own, or that Japan has weakened' her forces in China by withdrawals to participate in her other ventures. In either case the fact remains that China has seized the initiative, and we may in the very near future be compelled, to seek for major assistance from Chinese arms. Should this ever happen the effect will be a humbling one,- for China lias little enough to thank us for if history is any guide. We, the nation which forced narcotics "upon her population in order to build up the Indian opium trade,, who forced her into a one-sided war because of a party rebellion within her state, who seized concessions, annexed Hong Kong, and appropriated Waiheiwai. The time may indeed come when a. Chinese army may be our very salvation.