JAPAN'S DILEMMA

Waikato Times, Volume 122, Issue 20492, 7 May 1938, Page 7

JAPAN'S DILEMMA

SLOWNESS OF PROGRESS CASUALTIES TOTAL 150,000 . SUCCESS OF THE CHINESE United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Con right (Received May 7, 11,15 a.m.) LONDON, May 6 The Tokio correspondent of the Times, analysing Japan’s dilemma, mentions popular impatience at the slowness of the Army’s progress in China and falsification of the notion that tiie fighting would be finished by Christmas. lie adds: "The tempo of the war has changed, and headquarters are reluctant to extend commitments in China and add hundreds of miles of difficult communications. Young troops from Japan are relieving seasoned troops from Manchuria, who are going south to turn the scale in Shantung and assist in the capture of Hsuchow. "On a conservative estimate the Japanese casualties so far are 150,000." The Hankow correspondent of the Times says a search resulted in the verification of the original Chinese claims of success in an air battle over Hanyang on April 29, in the form of 55 corpses of Japanese airmen, including Squadron-Leader Takahashi, scattered among the wreckage of 12 pursuit planes and nine bombers. The Chinese lost five of the 0 4 planes which'participated. The Chinese capture of ChiangLincheng is confirmed.

TENSION IN PEKING GUERILLA FORCES APPROACHING CITY GATES CLOSED United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright PEKING, May 5 Considerable tension has followed the reported arrival of Chinese guerilla forces to within eight, miles west of the Great Wall. Many others are reported to be massed near Tungcliow, 12 miles eastward. Most of the city gates have been closed to prevent the Chinese leaving. All Chinese entering had the palms of their hands marked with a rubber stamp to show they were new arrivals.