JAPANESE IN CHINA

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 October 1939, Page 7

JAPANESE IN CHINA

EVIDENCE OF DEFINITE

SETBACK

FAILURE OF THE DRIVE ON CHANGSHA.

COLUMNS WITHDRAWN ACROSS RIVER.

By -.Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright; Received This Day, 9.25 a.m.) NEW YORK. October 5. A Hong Kong correspondent ol’ the Associated Press of America says the .Japanese army’s first major offensive for nearly a year appears to have resulted in a definite. •Japanese setbaclt, with heavy losses. Chinese reports, -without -Japanese denials, declared that. Hie columns which were advancing on Changsha have been thrown back and are withdrawing across the Mi River. Chinese military officials attributed the failure to the inability of the eastern column to dislodge the Chinese forces blocking the highways in North-West Kiangsi. SOME CONFLICTING REPORTS APPARENTLY EXCESSIVE . CLAIMS. JAPANESE DISCOUNT VALUE OF CHANGSHA. ! SHANGHAI, October 5. Conflicting Chinese and Japanese communiques claim enormous losses of men and material in heavy fighting in Hunan and Kiangsi Provinces. Reports estimate the dead at upward of 25,000 on each side. Neutral observers explain that while the battles were undoubtedly vicious, the claims are excessive. Interestingly, last week when the Japanese were within striking distance of Changsha, the Chinese said they would not waste men to save the city because strategically it was unimportant. Now the Japanese say they may give up the plan to capture the city, because its military value is nil. SOVIET AGGRESSION? FEAR OF RUSSIAN INVASION. SHANGHAI, October 5. The gravest concern is felt in Chungking over the reports- of Soviet troop movements. Pessimists in the Chinese Government envisage the moves as a possible fait accompli similar to that in Poland. It is pointed out that the bulk of the Sinkiang trade has been diverted to Russia and Soviet influence is increasing. OFFICIALS ON STRIKE DEPARTMENTAL CHANGES IN JAPAN. NEW YORK, October 4. The Tokio correspondent of the “New York Times” says the entire staff of the commercial department of the Foreign Office is on strike against Cabinet’s decision to merge them and four -other departments in a new Ministry of Trade, which has been created largely as the result of the army policy. The Foreign Office fears the Ministry will take economic diplomacy from them in the same way as the creation of the China Affairs Board last year took the China policy away.