The War in China The war itself has indeed degenerated
into a mere massacre of civilians This week, Nanking, Canton, the port of Wuhu on the Yangtze, Chingyuan, Chapei, and several villages in the Southern province of Kwangtung have been bombed. The " military objectives " gained have been for the most part the deaths of non-combatants. Japan interprets " bringing China to her knees " as terrorising all Chinamen into surrender. The explanation of these methods is not to be found in mere barbarism. Japan's strategy has suffered a severe reverse from the resistance of the Chinese in Shanghai, where they are reported to have 15o,000 men ; so long as that resistance continues even Japan's brilliant victories in the North will not end the war nor destroy Chiang Kai- shek's Government. Japan, in the last week, has achieved a great advance in Hopei, is waiting to attack Shantung, if General Han Fu-chu decides to fight, and has bombed the Communist armies in Shansi. But her main objective now is to end the war quickly, not necessarily by military victories, but by breaking the Chinese morale and especially by anni- hilating Nanking, the centre of China's Government and of her resistance. The methods adopted must to some extent be taken as a confession of the failure of her military strategy, which was to be that of " the short and successful war." Japan has not had the war she expected.
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