12 he Chinese army's April offensive is some-161 ning of a mystery, or cle Iti a new departure 151 [in military tees Not only bs' the offensive 101 been "denied in Chungking, the reports having itz [been desrioed as "premature tat also" the 102 principal news about it comes from Japanese a despatches which describe how Chinese attacks 402 Jon many fronts have been repeatedly repulsed 43 this is departure: from the usual" technique 108 of military propaganda. "in the past it has too often been the case that Chungking has claimed the capture of cities before even an attack has been made upon them: but almost invariably these claims have been followed up by some form of drive in the cities direction. Any success has been publicized to the full, fre~ [quently before it has been achieved, and it has been "eft to the Japanese communiques to Prove that the successes either had never occurred or had been greatly exaggerated. Now, however, Chinese despatches claim little more than successful counter-attacks in different. re= ut no no no no no [gions where they might be expected; whereas the Japanese accounts tell of numerous large-scale engagements in which the Japanese have riven off hordes of Chinese. Too much signifietance should not be attached to the reports from either side. Observers believe it possible that the Japanese have gone us far into the interior of China as they intend, though they may still find it necessary to capture Changsha. Tu this ease they would naturally be on the defensive, to hold what they had got, while the [Chinese could Iegitimately claim to have won victory whenever they took back some small part of the lost territory. It is more. likely, however, that the Chinese April offensive ix something quite different from what has been outlined in the news telegrams from the fronts. It is probably a large-scale permeation of the areas within the Japanese lines with trained troops, as distinct from guerillas, whose objective will be to harass Japanese communications and. prevent the economic exploitation of the conquered districts. Such a move would be more likely to worry the Japanese General [Steff than a series of frontal attacks, which feould not make much headway against superior armaments and selentifieally-constructed defences, no Schools In Caves Kipling was slightly in error when, in his praise of the efficiency of the screw gun, he made his soldier conclude: "You may hide in the caves, they'll be only your graves, but you can't get away from the guns." In several places in China, with an adaptability and re-Sourcefulness typically Chinese, they are not only getting away from the guns but from mich more powerful instruments. of destruction—aeroplane bombs up to half a ton in weight. The situation in Kwangsi province, described in this journal yesterday, disposes of Kipling. In this mountainous province there are hundreds of eaves and the authorities have not been slow to realize their value as shelters: from Japanese air attacks. Transference schools to these nature-hewed bor-b proof shelters was a stroke of genius, and around Kwelli large-sized universities are continuing their 1900 educational functions undisturbed by" bombs
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.