PATH the it motors purring and their drivers tense, 200 trucks, fully loaded with goods needed by China, prepared tonight to make a dash across the border on the final stroke of midnight which will mark the reopening of the Burma Road after a closure of three months, writes George Wang. United Press staff correspondent, The 200 trucks, trip along China's most were determined to carry Japanese aerial attacks.
With Rangoon officially instructing the Lashio Customs. to. reopen the toad at midnight, the Customs of chats hurried to conclude their affairs covering the closure period and start with "now sheet" a minute atter 'The' Customs expected that 400 trucks will be able to leave Lashio with war supplies in the frst 24 hours." Two hundred trucks were fully loaded this morning and separ~ fated into five convoys two miles the highway north-east of Lashlo, 'Despite the earlier Customs' inten-ion to Hold up the transportation of for a few days, Chinese officials insisting thatthe arms be al-Towed to leave Immediately. This correspondent was allowed to see the fear goes of the trucks under promise That he Would not reveal their contents "Adequate Defence Measures"
At midnight the three-month Anilo-Japanese agreement for the closure of the Burma Highway ex= pres, inaugurating what appears to new and firmer British policy toward Japan. Reports from the Chinese side of the Burma border today id that military" preparations had been completed there to protect conveys as soon as they enter the China section of the Burma Highway. Jap alive aerial attacks axe expected on the highway on the Chinese side of the border at dawn, Chinese oflcials here said today that the Chungking Government has taken "adequate steps to protect the:
entire Burma Road against the threatened Japanese bombings." They said the Japanese probably would find it necessary to fy at high altitudes over important objectives along the hich-way and therefore would not be able to bomb accurately "Must Go Through We are not afraid of the bombs said. "The trucks 1 was permitted to visit warehouses Toading fields here today and wit: bessed at first hand the feverish pra-parations 1o rush huge stocks of ae-Cumulated war supplies to the Chung. king area.
Tu one loading field alone t saw 12,000 dari vey American trucks being loaded by 5,000 cooties of five nation= alities, Sweating and singing under the blazing noon sun, Indian, Chinese, Thai, Burmese, Shan'and Atiao coolies piled munitions and. other supplies into the hundreds of American trucks which were ready fo pull out at midnight. "Huge signs around the loading field announced, "No Smoking and No Cameras."
"Our Watehword" watchword," a Chinese of is that everything is ready ight. The trucks Shan ace at the Dare Withway, told the United Press today:
he was happy to see the road ned to the shipment of war stipe sto the Chinese. He said the Dointed out that no Japanese: nation als have ever been permitted to live in the Shan states, Mr, Border praised the Chinese fave been! making parations for the reopening of the invay" ever since it was closed three months ago. Ie said they: had nol sh their efforts even who they knew the road was to be repened.
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