Jaunting Juggernaut

Japan's juggernaut, clanking slowly across frozen South Manchuria toward Chinchow last week, was chauffeured by the Empire's prodigiously popular hero of the hour, Lieut. General Jiro Tamon. Month ago he broke the power of China in North Manchuria by routing fleet General Ma Chan-shan and capturing Tsitsihar (TIME, Nov. 30). That was easy. General Ma had no effective artillery and only 23,000 Chinese soldiers. Chinchow last week looked hard--that is if its 84,000 Chinese defenders would fight. Japanese scouting planes reported two separate systems of Chinese entrenchments defending Chinchow, complete with 58 pieces of artillery strategically placed. The Chinese "First Line," a series of trenches 20 mi. north of Chinchow, aimed to stop the Japanese advance at the Taling River Bridge on the Peiping-Mukden Railway. Should the juggernaut break through, the Chinese "Second Line" consisted of earthworks and entrenchments completely encircling Chinchow. In the city (Japanese estimated) were 8,000,000 rounds of ammunition which Chinese might fire. During the week Lieut. General Tamon's forces cautiously advanced south from Mukden, easily brushing aside Chinese skirmishers in a series of minor clashes, and prepared to meet and crush the first serious Chinese resistance, expected at Kowpangtze, 50 mi. north of Chinchow. Japanese troops camouflaged as snow men in long white gowns crawled forward eleven miles fighting every inch of the way. The temperature was 30 below zero. Japanese scouting planes reported a force of at least 3.000 Chinese "bandits" waiting to defend Panshanhsien. Total Japanese forces in Manchuria did not exceed 25,000 last week, though, seven Japanese transports landed an unrevealed number of fresh troops at Dairen. Meanwhile in Mukden the Japanese G. H. Q. of General Shigeru Honjo feted a distinguished and most welcome guest. Guest General Jiro Minami started the Japanese push into Manchuria when he was Minister of War (TIME, Oct. 12, et seq.). Last week he offered a quaint description of the outburst of Chinese banditry which followed Japan's overthrow of the Chinese Government of Manchuria at Mukden. "A revolution has overtaken Manchuria." General Minami said. In Tokyo the Japanese Diet met briefly, passed a resolution "in appreciation of the Army's efforts in Manchuria," adjourned over the holidays.

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