JAPAN'S TRIALS

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 12, 16 January 1933, Page 5

JAPAN'S TRIALS

LOYALTY OF TROOPS

FREQUENT DESERTIONS

The problems of how to deal •with the remnants of the Chinese armies still in Manchuria and of how to cope •with the activities.of bandits have receded into comparative insignificance, and Japan is now confronted with the much graver problem of how to retain the loyalty of the Manchukuo troops, says the "New York Times."

With detachment after detachment of Manchukuo trdops deserting or staging mutinies weekly, Japan is rapidly losing much of the ground she gained during the summer campaign. Ttiess continuous defections of the Manchukuo army units not only hamper the movements of the Japanese forces but also are costly, for the money to clothe, arm and equip the Manchukuo troops is advanced by Japan. Around Tsitsihar the country has gone completely anti-Japanese, the Barga district is alien territory, and the width of the band across North Manchuria, parallel to the Amur Biver where Japan has no influence, is steadily increasing. The eastern end of the Chmese Eastern Railway also remains m the control of forces sturdily hostile to Japan.

It becomes evident that the Japanese forces in Manchuria, despite their aeroplanes, their control of most of the railways, their better training, and then infinitely superior equipment, can now barely hold their own along the railway lines already in their hands There is urgent need for reinforcements but there seems to be no prospect of receiving any. Many places, such as Fuliarti and the famous Nonni Eiver Bridge, are mere entrenched outposts, surrounded by sandbags and barbed wire. There ia no pretence of establishing any control over surrounding areas, nor of founding a Manchukuo administration in districts like these.

The size of the Manehukuo army is given officially as 120,000 men. Most of these men who are trained soldiers were formerly in Marshal Changhsuehhang's armies, and consequently their loyalty to Manchukuo is doubtful. The new recruits are as yet of little value as soldiers, and must be trained for months before they will stand battle. Irregulars, bandits, and other armed elements now fighting against "Japan and against the Manchukuo forces are estimated to--total-aia,ooo men. Japan has about 45,000 soldiers in Manchuria at present. _ Since the Manchnkuo troops are either unreliable or inefficient, the relatively small LS, force has its hands full merely S° ing vital strategic points and keeping thejailways running i n comparative

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