China's Human Wall Japan's offensive in Shantung, undertaken with the
object of reversing her defeat at Taierchwang and capturing the Lunghai railway, appears to have spent its strength and to have been held up. It is impossible to reconcile the con- flicting reports that have been issued ; the most dependable appears to be a statement, by the Chinese Foreign Office, that since the capture of Tancheng over a week ago the Japanese have made no appreciable advance. The strongest evidence of her failure is the counter-attack launched by the Chinese on Tuesday ; 800,000 troops have been massed, and their numerical superiority, assisted by an improvement in equipment, is so great that Japan may suffer a serious reverse. It would be interesting to know what effect China's military successes have had on the psychology of Japan's" invincible" armies. The days are past when for japan war in China meant a series of rapid and easy victories ; and in official circles in Tokyo at least the slowness of her advance has caused considerable uneasiness ; the man in the street knows nothing of any checks. The Government of Prince Konoye is being urged to show "greater energy" in prosecuting the war and the final steps have been taken in mobilising industry for war purposes. The Government repeats its intention of carrying on the war till China is crushed finally ; but it must be recorded that so far Japan is very far from achieving that objective. While her Shantung offensive has been held, her position in Shansi has been seriously weakened, and last week saw a recrudescence of guerilla fighting around Peking. * * * *
