CONTRIBUTION TO VICTORY

Chronicle (Levin), 2 April 1946, Page 8

CONTRIBUTION TO VICTORY

-Press Association

LACK OF APPRECIATION BEING RECTIFIED

Bp Telegraph-

WELLliNGTUiN, April 1. The influence of the atomie ,bomb >»n the future design of naval s.liips was briefly discussed by Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten in reply to an inquiry at a Pr,ess conference in Wellington today. He said there would undoubtedly be great cjianges in design, but these must be left to the scientists and naval architects to work out. "Yes, I eertainly do," said Admiral Mountbatten when asked if he expected any fundamental changes to' be neeessary in the design of ships as a result jof the atomie bomb. The actual changis, j he added, were diflicuLt to forecast, J beeause they must be thp result of ex ■ periment. It was obvious, however, that it would be neeessary to redesign the ships if they were to withstand tln concussion that one assumed would be caused by the explosion of an atomie bomb. All these things would come oul as a result of scieiitifie inquiry. The opinion that the most important ship at the end of the war was the air-eraft-carrier was expressed by Lont Louis, who added that it was the unit jaround which the task forces were ibuilt. Cruisers were required to balancu task forces, and he tiiought New Zea land liad done right in taking the improved Dido class cruisers to replace the cruisers Achilles and Gambria. "I do not think it would be proper for nte to express views 011 the futuVe of Singapore at this moment, beeause the question is in tlie melting-pot," he said in reply to another question. "i know it is being discussed in London a. present, and I take it that it will also be discussed at tlie coming conference of Empire Prime M inisters. 1 thin K that, if I gave any expression of vievys before this conference, it would be mistimed. " The important contribution that tlie Burma campaign made to the victory «>f the Fnited Nations in the Egst nad the Paeilie was referred to by Admiral Mountbatten, who said what had beeu done had not been properly appreciated. It was due, he felt, to lack of comprehension of what ac.tually oecurred. Lady IMountbatten remarked that, having just come from Englartd, she could say that what had been aceom plished in Burma was now being coni prehended by the people at liome. The explanation of this was that some war leaders were now getting back to the lUnited Kingdom, and as a result nf ad dresses by them, the ordinary members of the public were understanding t'or the lirst time what had aetually hapi pened. New Technique in War f are Admiral Mountbatten said that, if one could not carry out a campaign 111 a commonsense way and conduct it on an amphibious scale, then the thing to do was not to give up but to try a new technique, as had been done in Burma by bringing in Supplies by air from the north. A coinpletely new technique in warfare had been adopted. Less than 5 per cent. of the armv's requirements had come into Burma by means other than air. Had it been possible, he would have preferred to take Burma by an amphibious operation.

It had been stated by the Japanesc ! commander that he had lost 200,000 ikilled in Burma. Lord Louis statad I that he did not know any other c.am paign where so many had been killed. 1 Although the hostilities with Japin | carne to an end early in Meptember, the j Allied forces in Burma could not have failed to just waltz through the Japanese; they now knevv they would have jhad Bingapore before the end of Sep j tember. j Lady Mountbatten said the universal feeling of the Japanese she had met was that Japan had lost the war beeause of the campaign in Burma and not beeause of the atomie bomb. "That depends 011 what is done with her," said Lord . Louis, .rep lying ta au j inquiry w;h,etli.er-lie; thought Japaii had any hope-, iot^ -^iilitary revival. "She will have every hope, as Germanv had, if she is given the help Germanv was given after tlie first world war." Asked about Ihe food situation in the East, Lord Louis said there was a 3b per cent. shortage of rice. The Japanese had requisitioned all rice without payment and slaughtered all plougk eattle for eating, while the Allied bombing had disrupted internal communications. There was, therefore, far ies.-. production, and what there was was diflicult to distribute. Those who helu rice would not disgorge it for monev, but wanted such things as a piece oi goods or textiles in return.