Chungking, Feb. 18, Enquiries regarding en annountethatit by the Jo addressed. to Chinese commanders, reveal that the Japanese South China Command on February 16 sent a message to Chinese military leaders on the South Kwangsi front, by means of a radio broadcast, paying tribute to {he bravery of criticizing Chinese tactics.
In a statement published this motning, Chinese military authorities express surprise and bewilderment at "may not be clever, but they are the same tactics which have frustrated Japanese drives in North Hupeh, South Shansi, North Hunan, North Kwangtung and South Kwangsi. Whatever the Japanese may say, the Chinese will adhere to the tactics adopted in the past, "In South Kwangsi, unfortunately," the statement continues, "Japanese troops did not dare to penetrate farther, and the speed of their retreat was unusual. The Chinese, therefore, succeeded only in entrapping a portion of their forces. Otherwise, the Chinese plan of annihilation would' have been achieved.
"Speaking of strategic points, how can the Japanese; explain the recapture by the Chinese of Kunlun-Kwan, the famous pass, for the defence of which they lost one major-general? Furthermore, Chinese tactics are not to fight for the occupation of one or two strategic points, but for encirclement of Japanese forces.
"As the Chinese supreme conte mander puts it: Our tactics are to force the Japanese to admit defeat without battle. No Japanese troops will be allowed to return. Either they are killed in fighting, or they perish in siege'
"Japanese losses in men and equipment in the South Kwangsi battle are unprecedented. It has so far been established that the Chinese captured 336 machine-guns, 22 field guns, and 27 tanks and armoured cars. A total of 1,600 cases of war trophies are now being shipped back to the rear for public display," the Chinese statement concludes.—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.