Hard Bargain?

In Hankow, now the headquarters of Generalissimo Chiang Kaishek, Chinese felt safe last week because many Soviet war planes flown by expert Soviet pilots had arrived to protect them. The Russian aces, large, square-headed fellows of the surly, close-mouthed type seen in Leftist Spain, kept rigidly to themselves, but Chinese never doubted they would go up and do battle at the first Japanese air attack.

Then one afternoon a squadron of 40 Japanese bombers and pursuit planes came thundering upriver, proceeded to dump several tons of explosives upon the city, setting large districts afire. Through it all the Soviet pilots remained morosely on the ground beside their planes. Dispatches recorded "acute Chinese disappointment." Correspondents could get no explanation of the Soviet surliness past Chinese censors.

Little explanation was needed. Obviously Dictator Stalin did not mean to let his pilots fight until Generalissimo Chiang gave Communists greater authority in the Chinese Government.

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