Deplores Treaty - Breaking In Broadcast Speech; Strife In the Homeland MAJOR setback was inflicted on Chinese efforts to reorganize their shattered air force on Saturday when Japanese naval bombers raided Kunming aerodrome in Yunnan when 41 Chinese pienes on the ground and in the air were claimed having been destroyed. More than 20 Japanese naval aircraft, commanded by Lieut.-Commander Toshiie I usa, staged a lightning raid on Kunming late on Saturday afternoon, a communique issued at 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon by the Japanese China Seas Fleet said.
Out of approximately 100 planes on the ground 15 were set on fire while 20 others were destroyed by bombs, the communique claimed Seventeen Chinese combat machines rose from the ground to repel the Japanese bombers but six of these were shot down, according to the announcement.
The raid lasting from 415 to 425 o'clock was one of the shariest on record. All Japanese machines engaged in the attack returned to their base safely, the communique asserted.
The Japanese attack on Kunming came when weather conditions improved after a long spell of adverse atmospherical conditions, according to the announcement.
Revealing for the first time in several months the presence of Chinese aircraft within a 590-kilo-yesterday evening. Casvnities mount to 53 persons killed and 199 wounded, while 194 houses were demolished, the report states.
Chinese dispatches from Kiangsi reveal that nine Japanese aeroplane bombed yesterday Shanjeo on the Chekiang-Kiangsi n East Kiangsi pro So far ages alizg>, over 50 bodies ha recovered, while 30 person were seriously and the fat ly wounded.—
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