Making due allowance for Chinese enthusiasm and the claims made by the Japanese, concerning the developments in the neighbourhood of Hsuchowfu, it seems to be quite plain that the alleged surrounding of large C! forces did not in fact eventuate. The CI ese claim that the forces east of the Tsinpu Railway. which the Japanese said were surrounded, and whose annihilation or surrender were only a question of time, have succeeded in effecting a junction with their comrades west of the line, and are continuing to offer a stubborn resistance to the Japanese advance. At no time were fi Chinese encircled in the sense that a ring had been drawn round them. The Japanese have been manceuvring in columns which did not succeed in linking up, with the result that the Chinese following a scheme in which they have become expert. suddenly dissolved into small parties harassing the Japanese lines of communications, and eventually filtering through the countryside to rejoin those forces which had been withdrawn in an orderly manner. That the Chinese losses have been large is probably true but nothing in the nature of annihilation has. been achieved. This fact should have considerable bearing on the alleged Japanese fntention to drive straight on to Hankow as quickly as possible. The probabilities are that with the greater portion of his men intact the Generalissimo will proceed with his announced intention of making a stand before the temporary capital, for it is evidently no part of his plan to allow the Japanese to sweep over the country too cheaply. The work of attrition is still depended upon to win this war for China, and while some people may think there is only a faint hope of its succeeding. there is a considerable body of opinion which feels that, even if ultimate victory is not secured, the Japanese by the time hostilities end will have paid a very high price for their military diversion.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.