The Advance on Hankow During the last week in China
there has been fierce fighting on the fronts in five provinces ; by far the most important has been the advance of the Japanese along the Yangtze on Hankow. By their important success in capturing Juichang, which protects the booms across the river at Wusueh, the Japanese claim to have broken through China's first line of defence. It is clear that they mean to concentrate all available forces on Hankow, the capture of which would allow them to face the winter with greater equanimity than they can command at present ; failure would certainly produce the worst effect on the population in Japan, and strengthen the hands of the military extremists, who are the greatest enemies not only of China, but of British interests there. The Chinese are reported to have 800,000 troops massed for the defence of Hankow ; Marshal Chiang Kai- shek is said to be confident of resisting successfully. But his confidence need not be based merely on the possibility of defending Hankow and making of it, as the Communists hope, another Madrid. Both he and the Japanese know that Hankow will not end or decide the war ; but its fall would allow the Japanese to devote the winter to organising a more stable administration in the conquered territories.
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