CHINESE RETAKE KUNGAN

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23975, 16 June 1943, Page 3

CHINESE RETAKE KUNGAN

FURTHER SUCCESS ON YANGTSE FRONT JAPANESE AIRFIELD AT NANCHANG BOMBED (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 9.30 p.m.) CHUNGKING. June 15. The Chinese on the Yangtse front have recaptured Kungan, 25 miles south-west of Shasi, after annihilating all the enemy on the city’s outer defence ring. Announcing this, a Chinese communique says that the Japanese now control only four large centres in the Hupeh-Hunan area south of the Yangtse. namely, Hwajung. Ouchihkow, Shishow, and Mitoushih. United States Air Force headquarters in China announce that American aeroplanes carried out heavy bombing and strafing raids against Japanese strongholds in northern Kiangsi pro-

vince yesterday. More than 100 bombs were dropped on a big airfield at Nanchang, the most important Japanese air base between Shanghai and Hankow, direct hits being sqored on runways and fuel dumps. During reconnaissance flights over the Canton area two American fighters shot down one, and probably three, of eight Zeros. American; fighters dive-bombed railway bridges and locomotives in the Puichi area. They also strafed eight troop barges escorted by gunboats on the Yangtse near Shasi. They shot down an enemy fighter and a bomber, and probably several others. LESS RISK TO AUSTRALIA igpPINION OF ARMY MINISTER (Special Australian Corresp., N.Z.P.A.) (Rec. 11.30 p.m.) SYDNEY, June 15. ‘‘The invasion risks to Australia are less to-day than at an# period since Japan entered the war,” said the Australian Minister of the Army (Mr F. M. Forde), supporting the recent statement by' the Prime Minister (Mr J. Curtin). He based his belief on reports he had received from military advisers on strategy in the south-west Pacific area, and on observations during his recent tour of the northern defences. ‘T believe that if the Japanese were to set foot in Australia they would be thrown back into the sea,” declared Mr Forde, but he added a. warning that a continuation of this favourable position depended largely on an all-out war effort by Australians. MR CURTIN ILL (Rec. 11.30 p.m.) SYDNEY, June 15. The Prime Minister of Australia (Mr J. Curtin) has been confined to his bed for the last two days, and will be unable to attend this week’s meeting of the Australian War Council. It is also doubtful whether he will be able to attend the important Labour conferences at the end of the week. His condition is reported to have slightly improved' LAST OF WHITLEY BOMBERS MORE POWERFUL TYPE IN PRODUCTION (Rec. 9 p.m.) LONDON, June 15. The last Whitley bomber which will ever be built came off the assemblylines at a Midlands factory at the week-end. The aviation correspondent of the “Daily Mail” says that the factory has now turned to the production of a more powerful aeroplane. Seven years ago the Whitley wasifhe world’? heaviest bomber. The Whitley, though superseded as a bomber, is still busy as a military transport and U-boat hunter. The Whitley holds some of the most famous “firsts” of the war. In May, 1940, it' rqade the first bombing raid on Germany’s mainland. In June, 1940, it made the first raid against Italy when Genoa was so surprised that it was not blacked out. In February, 1941, a Whitley was the first aeroplane to carry British paratroops into action when they were dropped in the south of Italy. AMERICAN WAR CASUALTIES “1,000,000 MAY HAVE TO BE HANDLED” (Rec. 7 p.m.) NEW YORK. June 14. American hospitals must be prepared to handle at least 1,000,000 war casualties during and after the war, said the Director of the Government division of the War Production Board (Mr Maury Maverick). He added: “We must realise that this war will produce more casualties than we ever imagined.” VENEREAL DISEASE IN AMERICA (Rec. 10 p.m.) WASHINGTON, June 15. Dr. Thomas Parran, Surgeon-General of the United States Public Health Service, told the Appropriations Committee of the House of Representatives that the examination of men aged 21 to 35 for the armed services disclosed that, based on 2,000,000 men from 44 States, 47 a thousand had syphilis. The prevalence of the disease among negroes in- one southern State was 405.9 a thousand. Sixty-one thousand in each 1,000,000 men selected for the army were rejected for venereal disease. Unidentified Disease.—A new and unidentified disease with a high mortality rate, probably from the pneumonia group, had appeared in an isolated community, said Dr. Y. Dyer, of the United States Public Health Service. Of 17 cases eight had died, including several nurses attending the original cases. Later there had been one case in an Army camp. Dr. Dyer said that the discovery of the disease was “rather astonishing.” The causative agent had been isolated in animals.—Now York, June 14. Sugar from Wood. —The first North American factory developing sugar from wood is in production at Thorold, Ontario, says the New York “WorldTelegram.” Sawdust goes in at one end and comes out the other end as raw sugar in eight minutes, whereas the German process takes hours. The American sugar is convertible into industrial alcohol, yeast, and glycerine. This paves the way for clothing fibre, lubricating oil, plastics, vanilla, and chocolate from wood.—New York, June 14.