Aprit 30, The campaign against the Communists seems to be shifting in the direction of Yunnan, whither the Red forces, eluding the Government's cordon in Kweichow, have managed to make their way. The process, in rugger parlance, has ap~ proximated to that known as "wheeling the scrum", for the Yunnan contingents formerly attempting to prevent a Communist invasion, now find themselves with the enemy between them and their own Province. The Generalissimo's plans have met with a good measure of success, but once again the Reds have been favoured by some degree of fortune as well as by their ability to exploit the the advantages always accruing from guerrilla warfare to what might be termed irregular troops. Of the intensity of the fighting it {is diffeult to form a definite judgment. Information naturally comes through many sources and figures of losses on both sides tend to be inflated by various cat among them the inevitable duplica~ tion of despatches. It Is fairly] well established that, in the engagement near Kweiyang a fortnight or 80 ago, the Generalissimo inflicted a sharp defeat on the Reds, This effectually proved to them that Kweichow was no longer a health resort. Their anxiety for a change of air in Yunnan probably develo} ed from that experience. General} Chiang Kal-shek thus has his tention diverted further from Szechuen, where the threat to} Chengtu appears to have been temporarily checked. No doubt the understanding which exists between him and the Kwangst authorities will, to some extent, lighten the burden of operations in Yunnan, The Yunnan forces, with the help of Government reinforcements should not find it difficult to keep the Reds from the provincial ital, although obviously there ire anxious moments ah Whether General Chiang shek, by use of his air-force, will decide personally to visit Yunnanfu for the better direction of the operation must depend largely on the situation in Kweichow itself.
Apparently there is no reason why he should not contemplate such a move, unless he feels that It will take him too far away from the Szechuen border where, owing to the poor morale of the local forces the Generalissimo's guidance and Personal driving force are still in much demand. Special steps have been taken to restore telegraphic communication between Chungking and Kweiyang. The construction of the Szechuen-Kweichow hig! way has been taken in hand. The Generalissimo has already nounced his intention of transfer ring his headquarters to Chungking as soon as the situation in the South-west has cleared. The Reds' invasion of Yunnan may, cause him to postpone the transfer for the time being. Meanwhile it is satisfactory to note that the Kwangsi authorities are reported to be ce-operating in the general plan of keeping the Reds on the move. It is by such pertinacity that the morale of a guerrilla force can be best undermined. When onlookers are inclined to lay stress fon the success of the Communists in evading the Government's oft-laid net, they tend to forget the demoralizing effect of a constant pursuit. The initiative is in the Government's hands so long as pursuit is maintained and it is in that respect that weakness has in the past been shown. Until General Chiang Kai-shek took this matter in hand in Kiangsi by instilling a better morale into the Government _troops—leaders and men alike—the Reds had the upper hand and their raids on the superior forces opposed to them created the very feeling of harassment which, in their present plight "of being chivvied from Province:
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.