To China's few victories in her war with Japan another was added last week. Even Japanese admitted that the city of Lanfeng, 150 miles west of Suchow, had been retaken by Chinese regulars. To the Japanese their withdrawal was strategically necessary. To the Chinese, Lanfeng's recapture was a major success. Both sides admitted that the battle for control of the strategic Lunghai Railway was not yet over, that the recent capture of Suchow had not yet caused the collapse of China's resistance on the central front. Extensively along the railway the Japanese attacked, and the war began spreading to hitherto quiet parts of China. Reports placed:
1) A Japanese raiding party within 30 miles of the Peking-Hankow Railway.
2) Chinese reinforcements in Swatow. in South China, expecting an attack.
3) 60,000 Japanese soldiers newly landed at Amoy, seaport north of Swatow.
4) Japanese bombers over Canton where in a series of raids they killed 1,000 persons, wounded 1,500, destroyed the Wongsha Railroad Station, and demolished an entire train in an effort to disrupt China's major munitions route.