London, July 3. 66 4 LIHOUGH the Chinese were unable to conceal their dismay when the Matsuoka pact was announced, General Chiang Kai-shek himself never wavered, states an extract from a lengthy article published by. "The Times" today under the title of "The toughness of China."
"Since the outbreak of war in China," the article says, "his attitude has been that of Mr. Churchill after the fall of France—
"if necessary for years, if necessary alone Nor did any of his supporters really misdoubt the future.
There was a general feeling in Chungking that China, if not betrayed, had been badly served.
"Unable to believe. however, that Russia. would withdraw her active support, the Chinese felt that the blow was moral rather than material, 'The Chie moral effect for which observers walted, was the reaction of the peace party," In Chungking, The peace arty', small in numbers but never Quite dormant, is not a party in the usual sense, Tt has no avowed leader and no cohesion. The term has come to include those elements inside and outside the Governmnt, many of them Minienown to each other, who are weary of hostilities, Their aim is to go home—back to the great cities of the coast.
"Many who in their hearts favour peace are willing to fight on while the hope of victory' remains; it is whea things are going badly that they-tend to relapse, Before any voice for peace could be raised In Chungking, much less make itself heard in coun-cells of state, three things happened which promptly changed the outlook: Reports were Fecelved from Moscow of the Russian intention to continue Pésistance to China; Britain and the United States announced new currency credits, and suspicion succeed the transports of delight Which the Japanese press had 9 claimed the pact "Other more tangible forms of help have followed. and the Chinese now feel that they no longer are alone in holding the front in the Far East. Almost without exception. educated classes are anxious for an Allied vic~ tory s0 that they shall be free to build up a great new China of their own "General Chiang Kal-shek's attitude may be judged from a report that he has threatened to. shoot the next emissary who brings him peace over~ tures from the Japanese, Whether true or not, there are few Chinese. in the present temper of the Generalissimo, prepared to put this re-~ port to the test."—Reuter, Official Report Made on Chungking Tragedy Chungking, July 3.
The official report of the commit ice of inquiry for the Chungking tunnel tragedy on June 5 was released this afternoon, giving casualty figures as 902 killed and 151 seriously injured. The number of dead bodies publicly buried, it says, was 919, while 146 children were killed.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.