Waiting for 1943

Chungking withstood its 33rd bombing of the 1941 season last week. Of 135 Japanese planes that swarmed over Szechwan Province, 27 blasted the capital. Chinese huddling stoically in their shelters could tell by the way the earth shook that this raid, like those of the last few weeks, was as heavy punishment as the Japanese could inflict.

But the Chinese no longer felt alone, as they did a year ago. Then the Burma Road was closed. Then the western democracies were trying to appease Japan. Then Japan seemed unbeatable.

Last week China was in the front of the anti-Axis fight. Over the Burma Road moved supplies from her western allies. A U.S. military mission was going to Chungking. Last week Chinese land forces launched an offensive that carried them to the gates of Nanchang and Foochow, the latter on the coast 880 miles east of Chungking. China's minuscule but growing Air Force bombed Hanshan and Tsingteh, nearly 700 miles from Chungking, and returned without a casualty. By 1943 China expected to be strong enough in the air to bomb the Japanese on their own soil.

Doubtless there were worse bombings yet in store for Chungking. But to China 1943 is barely tomorrow.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.