The raid on Tathoku, Formosa, by Chinese aeroplanes has opened 'a new chapter in the: Sino-Japanese hostilities which show no sign of an early conclusion despite the spate of peace reports. 'Hitherto, Japan has justifiably claimed mastery of the air in China, a position acquired after the first few days of' the outbreak when Chinese raiding activities on Shanghai gravely threatened the Japanese forees here. At that lime Japanese aeroplanes were of a very slow and old type and proved no match for the new Chinese machines, most of which had been bought only a few months before under the Chiang Kai-shek "birthday scheme." Since then, of course Japan has brought in much more modern machines, and some thousands of bombing flights have been made, the most distant Interior point reached being' Chungking, while Chinese aerial activities, outside the successes: at Hankow, have been' negligible. Now the sequence of events shows every i reversing. Chinese air units are striking back' by invasion of Japanese territory, and it needs! ite imagination to conceive the feeling of surprise which this development has been. received within a few days of the spokesman's. statement that "entire China now finds itself under the eagle wings of the Japanese Naval Air Force." Probably it does, but Japanese territory. now no longer enjoys the immunity gained at the expense of attacking Chinese bases. Air raid. precautions were' adopted throughout /Kyushu, Japan, including Nagasaki, on Feb, 24 after Chinese aeroplanes had been sighted heading in that direction. Apparently, they never reached their destination even if it were their
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.