JAP WITHDRAWALS IN CHINA

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 284, 29 August 1942, Page 7

JAP WITHDRAWALS IN CHINA

Policy Of Destruction CHINESE CLOSING ON VITAL BASE CHUNGKING, August 27. Chinese troops are now closing on Chuhsien, another vital base in eastern China from which Tokio may be bombed. The Chinese army spokesman reported that fighting was under way on fhe outskirts of Chuhsien and Lishui. The United Press says that the bulk of the Japanese garrisons of both places have been withdrawn, leaving skeleton forces to meet the Chinese assaults. The Japanese looted and fired cities before making the withdrawals.

Besides the withdrawal at Chuhsien and Lishui, Japanese forces elsewhere in Chekiang and Kiangsi are retreatting northward and relinquishing their hold on the important interprovincial railway of which they once held the entire length of 450 miles. However, there is no indication that the withdrawing troops are being sent outside China.

The Japanese are destroying all towns and villages in a 200-mile wide belt, including the once populous and thriving Shangjao, Kwangfeng, and Kiangshan, which arc now masses of rubble.

The Central News says that the policy of wilful destruction and incendiarism has been ruthlessly carried out everywhere. Likewise the Japanese are destroying all food supplies and equipment which they are unable to carry. American Raid. American raiders over Lashio shot down two Japanese and heavily damaged two others. [This is the first American raid since August 11 when Yochow, Hunan, Nanchang,and Kiangsi were attacked, - and the only record of an attack on an objec-. five outside China except the one on Haiphong on August 9.] The raid followed: intelligence reports that the Japanese were concentrating 10,000 shock troops at Lashio for an offensive against Kunming, A United Press correspondent who accompanied the raiders said: “While the bombers attacked at high-altitude fighters swept the troop areas with machineguns.

“Military buildings and those on an aerodrome burst into flames, while the barrack grounds and field were strewn with Japanese dead and wounded.” AU the American planes returned safely. AIR POWER IN INDIA Evergrowing Strength (Received August 28, 8.40 p.m.) NEW YORK, August 27. The Karachi correspondent of the “New York Times" reports that additional American air force pilots and crews arrived today, thus swelling the ever-growing air strength of the United Nations in India.

Ho adds that many obscure villages jn India have been transformed into vast military camps and airfields. Indeed, one field, whose name must not be mentioned, has become an aerial crossroad of the world,