Respect After Bullet

Last month the Japanese Army announced that it had attained its objectives in South China, and withdrew to garrison at Nanning. When the soldiers left their northernmost outpost in Pinyang, they left behind a curious placard. Last week a picture of a Japanese soldier hanging this message under the shelled gateway to the Pinyang County Government buildings reached the U. S. The notice was written in miserable Chinese, but was polite as an invitation to tea under the cherry trees. Literal but less illiterate translation:

THE GIVING BACK OF PINYANG

This is a memorable place--the top spot of the circle which the Japanese Army drew around the Army of Chiang Kai-shek which was trying to counterattack Nanning.

The objective of our Army having been attained, we now celebrate our withdrawal.

The occupation of land and the expansion of territory are not the demands of our Army. We are, therefore, giving Pinyang back to the Army of Chiang Kaishek.

We hope and we are waiting for Chiang's Army to counterattack Nanning again, so that we can fight once more in this same spot.

Several tens of thousands of Chiang's troops were killed and wounded in this battle. We pay our respect to them.--Commander of the Army of Great Nippon.

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