Japanese call Shansi and Hopei occupied territory, that is to say, territory of which they are in undisputed possession and where their writ runs supreme. In actual fact, this claim is a very considerable exaggeration. For the territory over which they exercise effective control is limited to a marrow strip of country about ten miles wide, running on either side of the somewhat scanty network of railways in north China. Outside that area they have nothing whatever to say; one enters the territory of so-called still independent China.
Owing to the constant advances and withdrawals of both sides, Peiping-Kalgan line, in the east by the Peiping-Hankow line, in the, west by the main line that runs north and south through Shansi, and in the south by the Yellow River. peaceful tenor of their ways. It was mountain slopes remained untouched. In them life went on much as before. A Nowadays all that is changed. The Japanese terror is the main pre-the necessity of resisting them to the bitter end.
Food Supplies Removed When a Japanese raid is reported—and the Chinese greatest care is taken to remove all food and fodder, and anything else that might be of aid to It flies the Kuomintang flag ani acknow! the Governtions, which are carried out in accordance with definite fixed plans, drawn up long in advance and under supervision of the local authori-There can be no doubt as to the hess to say, anti-Japanese—thou; ins mun peasants to join the armed forces of the enemy. With their homes des-join the ai the Japanese would call it, Ing troyed, these men have nowhere to go and are filled with a desire for revenge, so that they, too, take to three arms, a thing they would otherwise a small land-tax, secondly—and this never have dreamt of doing. The is something of an innovation—by a burning of villages by the Japanese is said to be the most effective method: of recruiting for the guerilla forces, Seemingly Poor Showing may seem, a quite lively barter trade between the occupied the army. The the unoccupied territory is the old National currency, it being an offence punishable by death to be in possession of Federal Reserve Bank notes or any kind of Japanese currency.
Surprise has often been expressed at the seemingly poor showing made by guerilla warfare in north China, and specially as regards the destruction of the railway lines. This would appear to be due partly to the lack of organizing ability, inherent in the Chinese character, and partly to the lack of support by the Central Government in the way of explosives and munitions generally. One of the reasons given why the railways were often by the guerillas is typical of the whole nature of Sinc-Japanese relations in those parts.
As the Japanese, presumably owing to shortage of man-power, lack sufficient troops to patrol the lines effectively, the little patrol work that is done is left to the Chinese levies that they have trained. As a result, the guerillas enjoy complete freedom of communication across the Peiping-Hankow Railway line, for instance, and thereby access from their mountain districts to the central plain of Hopei, and vice versa. They cross and recróss the line at will. Ah they have to do is to give due notice of the time and their numbers to the nearest patrol of Chinese levies, And Always Ready For Meals Regular Development In Children Is Ensured By Watchful Care Of The Digestive Tract.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.