MAIN CHINESE NEED

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 196, 17 May 1944, Page 7

MAIN CHINESE NEED

Comment In London (Received May 16, 8.30 p.m.) LONDON. May 16. “Apparently the possibility of China’s collapse has suddenly become very real,” says the “Daily Mail” in a leading article on the grave military situation there as reported from Washington. “The news has come as a shock to many people in Britain. Things must be serious to send the Vice-President of the United States hurrying to China to report on what he finds. “These events demonstrate not the progressive strength that should have accrued to China through the alliance with the Western Powers, but progressive weakness. China quite evidently is worse off now than last year. Air transport on the present scale is obviously insufficient for China’s needs. The supply position is chaotic. The Chinese Army is reported to be underfed and suffering from disease, and it almost entirely lack's tanks and artillery and has. few warplanes. “The country is far from being united under one leader, and is almost split into two nations, under the Communist and Kuomintang Governments. China’s traditional failings-—incompetence and corruption—have not been eradicated, and a democratic facade conceals a form of government which is increasingly totalitarian. “This picture, though grim enough, is incomplete because of the iron censorship. It. is clearly of the utmost importance that the Chinese should remain on their feet till the end. If at this late hour the Japanese should succeed in conquering the country our prospects of winning the war in the Far East would be put back years. It is from Chinese territory that the Americans hope to organize air attacks against Japan proper, Meanwhile. if the Chinese Government could be made to understand that concealment of the truth always does the utmost harm, another good service will be done for the Allied cause.” “No Serious Deterioration.” The Press Association’s diplomatic cor-’ respondent says that the Chinese armies, after seven years of fighting, need munitions of all kinds, according to Chinese circles in London, but there is no confirmation of the reports that President Chiang Kai-shek has urgently appealed to the Allies for help. It is not thought that Mr. Wallace’s visit to Chungking indicates any serious deterioration in the situation. The visit was arranged two months ago. The present food situation in China is not had, but the monetary inflation of about 200 per cent, is having a serious economic effect.