FUTOU ISLAND

Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 July 1942, Page 4

FUTOU ISLAND

RETAKEN BY CHINESE JAPANESE DRIVE CHECKED INCREASE IN AMERICAN ACTIVITY. URGED BY “TAKUNG PAO.” (By Telegraph—Pi’ess Association —Copyright) (Received This Day. Noon.) CHUNGKING, July 13. The Chinese have recaptured Futou Island, off Foochow, the capture of which by the Japanese was reported ■yesterday. Fighting is still in progress north-westward of Wenchow. The Chinese have temporarily checked the Japanese two-pronged drive towards Foochow and Wenchow, the last remaining seaports in Chinese hands. The Japanese are speeding air reinforcements to Kiangsi to rescue 30,000 troops entrapped between the Kan and Fu rivers. The Chinese newspaper ’ “Takung Pao,” recalling an. old Chinese saying: “There’s plenty of noise on the staircase, but nobody comes down,” urges America to open a second front in Europe and also to increase her activity against Japan. The Chinese Communications Minister (Mr Chang Chiang-Au) reports that the capacity of air lines now linking China with the outside world compares favourably with that of the Burma Road. A still further expansion of air transport is expected. Mr Chang also reported success in providing substitute land routes for the Burma Road. The Japanese have impressed five million Chinese labourers, during their five years’ occupation of North China and sent them to Manchuria and Japan to relieve an acute labour shortage, says an Associated Press of America correspondent. Now the Japanese are planning to conscript two million additional workers. According to Associated Press informants, the Japanese use various pretexts to arrest youthful labourers who are then transported to undisclosed destinations. INVADED BY FLOODS NANKING AND HANKOW. (Received This Day, 1.0 p.m.) CHUNGKING, July 13. Floods are threatening Nanking and Hankow. The lower parts of both cities were evacuated when the Yangtse rose to dangerous levels.