"Stupid Heads"

CHINA-JAPAN

"Stupid Heads"

Each time the storm of a great Japanese offensive breaks in North China it is preceded by a gentle shower of propaganda leaflets. Month ago the shower fell on Miyun, 50 mi. northeast of Peiping (TIME, May 1). Last week a Japanese plane zoomed through a wild anti-aircraft barrage over Peiping itself. U. S. Minister Nelson Trusler Johnson hopped out of bed into a yellow dressing gown to peer at the plane through binoculars, examine one of the first leaflets:

"Fellow Asiatics:

"Since we all speak the same language [sic] and belong to the same race, we should live and prosper together. Why should we slaughter each other?

"Our army takes pity on your ignorant soldiers, and delivers this solemn command: Cease opposing the Japanese and Manchukuans. Break away from Marshal Chiang Kaishek. . . . Should you not separate yourselves from your army at an early date and become a new people, our great Japanese-Manchukuan allied army will advance.

"Your soldiers will be exterminated. Good and evil alike will come to harm. You will lose your stupid heads due to the failures of Chiang.

"WILL NOT THAT BE SAD?"

As the Japanese advance pounded in toward Peiping from Kupei Pass on the north and the Lwan River on the east, the Tokyo War Office persisted in its old declarations that Tientsin and Peiping would not be attacked. Said a young attache with a marked Oxford accent:

"According to our information, T. V. Soong, the Chinese Finance Minister, has cabled to Nanking* urging the Government not to conclude an armistice, because he hoped to persuade the American Government somehow to intervene if the campaign is extended to Peiping. We shall be jolly well careful not to be lured into this trap."

Four days later when the Japanese pincers had closed still further on Peiping, the Tokyo tune suddenly changed. There came a brief statement from the Foreign office:

"The extent of Japanese operations in Chinese territory are being left entirely to the discretion of Field Marshal Nobuyoshi Muto as commander of the Japanese forces in the field. . . . Continued Chinese counter-attacks are causing the Kwantung Army to lose patience." Field Marshal Nobuyoshi Muto lost no time in making a characteristic statement from his headquarters at Changchun: "If the Chinese abandon their challenging attitude and withdraw . . . the Japanese will immediately return to the Great Wall and devote their energies to maintenance of peace . . . but if the Chinese continue their provocations, the Japanese will be compelled to continue the present . . . operations."

During the week the Japanese aircraft carrier Kamoi anchored off Taku, only 37 mi. from Tientsin. Swarms of fighting planes took off to reconnoitre. Town after town fell before the Japanese advance. Chinese commanders could do little but make brave statements. Cried Premier Wang Ching-wei of the Nationalist Government :

"We have fixed for ourselves, compatible with our national honor, the limit within which we shall not hesitate to come to an understanding. Now, however, peace means an ignominious surrender, and we prefer to die rather than be humiliated."

Confusing to U. S. readers were the Generals Ho. War Minister of the Nationalist Government, defender of Peiping and official commander of all Chinese troops in the north is General Ho Ying-chin. Commander of the Chinese forces along the Lwan River to the east is General Ho Chu-kuo. None too sure of Ho Chu-kuo's ability to hold off Japan, Ho Ying-chin first ordered General Tsai Ting-kai of Shanghai's immortal 19th Route Army up to assist him, then telegraphed frantically to "Christian General" Feng Yu-hsiang, onetime War Lord of Peiping, onetime Nationalist War Minister, recent bitter enemy of Chiang Kaishek, to come to the aid of his country. A practical Chinese, fat General Feng thought of the seven well-drilled, well-equipped Japanese brigades south of the Great Wall and promptly refused to leave his comfortable home in Kalgan.

Meanwhile behind the heavily sandbagged walls of Miyun, less practical Chinese settled down to sell it as dearly as possible. They admitted Miyun would soon crumple under a real artillery barrage. In the valley below they had dug a criss-cross skein of trenches, some wide & deep (7 ft. by 8 ft.), to trap Japanese tanks like so many elephants. At best they hoped to make brave nuisances of themselves.

Japan was willing to let the "stupid heads" make a little trouble. If Japan closes its pincers swiftly, dramatically on Peiping, it will make loud world news. If it closes them slowly, perhaps no one will notice.

As a last defense General Ho Ying-chin continued to mount artillery round the old walls of Peiping. He announced that once Japan took possession of Miyun, 40 mi. away, Peiping's gates would be closed, its guns turned against all comers, soldiers or refugees.

The evacuation of Peiping's priceless art treasures, begun months ago (TIME, Feb.

20), continued last week. And U. S. correspondents learned what had become of 15 of the most valuable paintings in the ancient Summer Palace; also why French soldiers and marines were quartered in the Tientsin Naval Hospital. Young Marshal Chang Hsueh-liang removed the paintings from the Summer Palace last November, it was revealed. Where he put them, to whom he sold them, remains to be seen. As for the hospital buildings: the Young Marshal had secretly sold them to authorities of the Tientsin French Concession, giving an official bill of sale, taking the cash for himself & retinue to live on in Europe.

*While on his way to confer with President Roosevelt last week, preparatory to the World Economic Conference at London.

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