THE CHINA MAIL, APRIL 18, 1989.
JAPS. CONTROL ONLY SMALL RAILWAY STRIP
Reuter Man's Visit To China Shansi H.Q.
Farmers At Work Near The Fronts
(From Reuters Special Correspondent) Japanese domination in southwest. Shansi is confined to a narrow strip of territory extending less than five miles on each side of the Tungpu Rail- way, and never covering the whole plain.
Even along the railway, this domination is only partly effective.
After dark, the Japanese scarcely ever stir out- side city walls and block-houses.
I visited this territory and spent a day in Chinese towns on the plain, There met district magistrates and other officials, working normal-| ly within range of Japanese guns,
The Japanese have not yet ex- tended their hold to the edge of the foothills which formed the first re- gular Chinese defence line.
At first, I inspected Chinese ob- servation posts on the hills over- looking the Feng River Valley, in which the railway runs.
while donkeys and mules plodded along paths in the wärm sunshine. It was difficult to visualise bitter warfare, with neither side giving quarter, against such a background. Wo decided to go to the plain, somewhat cautiously, and did so down a pass which the Japanese kept under observation and which they sometimes' casually shelled,
The first township we entered had not been occupied by the Japanese, Nevertheless, there was a strained With the local Chinese battalion air about the place. It was clear commander, who was accompanying that everyone was ready to leave at me, I made my way to a hill-top, and | a short notice if necessary. then scrambled into pits in which Chinese watchers stood scanning the valley through powerful glasses.
Below us was the plain, with the Feng River dimly visible as a streak in the distance, and the mountains to the east looming faintly through the morning haze.
CITIES SEEN IN DISTANCE Walled cities and roads, framed against a background of........ green fields, were as clearly visible though seen from the air.
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"Who occupies that town?" I ask-l ed my guide, pointing to the nearest
one.
""We do, of course," of replied.
I repeated the question, each time pointing to other towns, and always received the same reply.
"Then where are the Japanese?" I asked.
He handed me the glasses, and "said: “You see that city over there," (he pointed to a town more thar four miles away).
READY FOR ACTION
few When we stopped for a minutes at the office of the town the kang, or stone commander, sleeping shelf which is a very cóm- mon feature-of every North China farmer's home, was bare of blankets,
"The soldiers here sleep in their greatcoats and carry nothing except their arms, so as to be ready for instant action," I was told.
I remarked on the fewness of the soldiers and the comparatively large number of able-bodied men.
"Every man you see is a soldier," I was told. “A large proportion of our troops on the plain do not wear uniforms. The Japanese, therefore, are uncertain who are soldiers and who are peasants,**
It was alleged that the Japanese also used plainclothes men, but not so successfully, since the people re cognized strangers at once.
A typical passant appeared to serve as our guide across the plain. "The Japanese have about 30,000 | “This man is also a soldier and attack has a pistol concealed in his men there, We intend to them when a favourable opportunity clothes," I was told. offers."
"At his direction, I looked through the binoculars and could distinguish a faint flicker of colour above the about 800, alty gates. Japanese flags were fying over them.
We passed a large township three miles away, with a population for- merly considerably larger, and now As we entered, news of the pre- sence of a foreigner rapidly spread, The presence of soldiers, and their and I was soon the object of much watchfulness, seemed strangely in good natured curiosity, people run congruous with the seemingly peace, ning out of houses and lanes till ful, plain below, on which peasants large crowd had collected at our could be seen busy in the fields, heels.
ANGLO-FRENCH NAVAL COOPERATION
Paris, To-day.
While the exact nature of
a number of important mili- tary and naval measures ap proved by the Council of Ministers yesterday is not re- vealed, it is understood that the most important aim at. ensuring close co-operation" between
and the British French fleets, especially in the Mediterranean area. Reuter.
NETHERLANDS
INCREASE PRECAUTIONS
The Hague, To-day.
com-
A decree published in the Nether- lands official "Gazette" empowers the Commander-in-Chief of the land and sea forces to mandeer, in the case of necessity, public and private buildings for quartering troops and means of transportation, food supplies, horses and other animals.
The commanders in the different districts have been accorded the same powers.
The Ministry of National De- fence has urged the public by means of radio and the press to
from
tele- unnecessary refrain
:
I was told I was the first foreigner to visit the town, but hardly credit-phone calls because the lines are ed this since I saw a small Catholic needed for transmitting military church which could hardly have orders.
been visited by failed to have foreign missionaries.
CIVIL WAR ENDS OFFICIALLY ON MAY 2
It is announced that in the event it becomes necessary, a consider- able number of private phones will be disconnected.
These orders and decrees com- bined with the military measures of the past few days have resulted in a high degree of nervousness this public among the general being particularly noticeable in the frontier, towns where, according to reports of travellers, the inhabi- tants are debating whether to. withdraw to the interior. — Trans-
Burgos, To-day. After lasting nearly three] Ocean. years the Spanish Civil War will end officially on May 2 with the triumphal entry of General Franco into Madrid.
•
The entry will be the occasion for a great military parade. No and 700 less than 500,000 men aeroplanes will take part.
The troops are already assembl ing near Madrid. Trans-Ocean.
i
QUEEN MARY AT
DR. SARGENT AT TEL-AVIV
London, To-day.
An illustration of the greater cul- tural opportunities: resulting from facilities afforded by air travel oc- curs in the news that Doctor Mal- colm Sargent, who conducted the
PEOPLE'S PALACE London: Philharmonic Orchestra in
London on Good Friday, only four days later led a rehearsal of the London, To-day. Palestine Philharmonic Orchestra Queen Mary visited the People's at Tel-Aviv, Palace, in Mile End Road, yester- This was possible despite the day afternoon for a special concert aeroplane in which he was travell- by the New Metropolitan Symphony ing being delayed for 24 hours at Orchestra to raise funds on behalf Kome on the way from Southampton of the movement intended to carry to Alexandria, fine music into the Industriai me- tropolis and surrounding areas. British Wireless.
· During an 18 days stay in Pales- tine, Dr. Sargent will conduct at eight concerts -British Wireless
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