UPPER BURMA AND CHINA

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 14, 12 October 1942, Page 6

UPPER BURMA AND CHINA

Raids By American Planes

LAND GROUNDS AND RAILWAYS BOMBED (British Oflicial Wireless.) ■ RUGBY, October 10.

A United States Air Force communique issued in India gives further details, of raids toy American planes in upper Burma and part of China last weekend. On Friday a railway bridge south of Mojang on the MandalayMyitkina railway was destroyed by bombs and the railway track was also damaged. The following day the offensive was switched to China, where a large suspension bridge 10 miles south of Tingka, in Yunnan, was hit by bombs. An enemy airfield at Loiwing was also bombed, seven direct hits being scored on the runway. One American plane is missing. A New Delhi communique states that Blenheim bombers attacked Pakokku in Burma yesterday. Hits were scored on a runway. Bombs were also dropped on targets on the Sateaing-Shwebo railway, warehouses and tracks being bombed. Anti-air-craft fire was encountered, but all our planes returned safely. Keconquest of Burma.

The Chinese Press urges the United

.Nations to launch a campaign to drive the Japanese from Burma. The Central China correspondent of the “Daily News” says that the Chinese are prepared and anxious to attack Burma as soon as General Wavell realizes its importance and begins the overdue task of reconquest.

“Takung Pao” urges the United States to concentrate 10,000 planes in China to destroy Japan’s air and naval forces.

In Washington the new Chinese Ambassador, Mr. Wei Tao-ming, declared that with sufficient equipment from America China could take the offensive. He added that the world may have under-estimated Japan, but Japan is still tbe same Japan. In fact, when the South Pacific war started she was positively weaker than before as the result of the 4J years of war against China.

Japan’s most important weakness is manpower, because she has lost in China 2,500,000 killed and wounded and now lias many

fronts which demand men.

' The present situation in the South Pacific is not due' to Japan’s strength but due to laek of effective co-opera-tion among the democracies. When the democracies’ strength is fully used Japan’s defeat may come sooner than is expected.

ATTEMPT TO DEGRADE BURMESE Japanese Opium Dens (Reecived October 11, 9.45 p.m.) NEW DELHI, October 10. Beporte from Burma indicate that the Japanese are encouraging the population to frequent the opium and heroin dens which are springing up in Barngoon, Mandalay and other big towns, and also in the country areas. More than 700 Japanese traders have arrived at Moulmein to establish stores which are a screen for drug .dens.