NOTES ON THE WAR

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 52, Issue 3278, 21 June 1943, Page 7

NOTES ON THE WAR

THE ELEMENT OF TIME ALLIES MUST ACT SOON IN THE PACIFIC AND EUROPE The purpose of Mr Churchill’s last mission to North Africa was described in the news as “to work out the details of striking the heaviest possible blow at the Axis.” To this might be added the phrase “in the quickest possible time.” The element of time is important in the European theatre of wai’ where the Axis is struggling to rally from a series of heavy blows already struck —in Russia, in North Africa and in Western Europe and the Mediterranean from the air.

The opportunity to ■ strike the “heaviest possible blow” —the knockout was never more favourable, and the penultimate stage of the preparations has been successfully achieved in the thorough pounding of the Axis aii’ bases in the Mediterranean and the crippling of Italy’s battle fleet by American Flying Fortresses at Spezia. The final stage of Allied invasion may be expected very soon. But if time is important in Europe, it is vital in the Pacific. Japan so far has suffered no such shattering blows as have fallen on the Axis in Europe, and the strategic position the Japanese have attained by their rapid advances last year is such that if they could be given one or two years more of unchallenged possession of their conquests—that is time to perfect their defences arid exploit the resources of their new-won empire—the prospect of ousting them would become remote indeed. That is why the Allies must act, and act quickly, in the Pacific as well as in the European theatre of war. As pointed out by Max Werner in his first book, “The Military Strength of the Powers,” the war potential of Japan itself is weak, almost as weak as that of Italy. Like Italy, Japan has very little oil or iron and not overmuch coal. The power problem in both countries has 'been met, to a certain extent, by the development of water power, but this, as in some other countries, is liable to serious impairment by drought.

Japan’s position is discussed with extraordinary frankness in .a Tokio publication, the “Bulletin of the South Seas Association,” a periodical for promulgating the aims of the association (founded in 1915), which are described as: (1) To study the industrial, social and cultural aspects of the Western Pacific countries; (2) to introduce a knowledge of the Western Pacific countries to Japan and vice versa; (3) to promote a goodneighbour policy among the Western Pacific countries through the development of trade and the exchange of culture aiid arts, etc. Japan’s Power Shortage

Japan’s local output of coal is about forty million tons a year, compared with Britain’s 240 millions and America’s 500 millions. In the last ten years, devoted to armaments, Japan has had to import coal from Sakhalin, Manchukuo and North China, but even in 1939 the quantity of consumable coal, according to the Tokio “Bulletin,” could not meet the demand, and a shortage followed. Industries “clamoured for more and more coal.” The coal famine was aggravated in 1939 by a severe drought which crippled the power output by “as much as 60 per cent.” So the Japanese Government had to ration coal to domestic and industrial consumers (outside armament production) “by 10 to 37 per cent.” Hydro-electric generation failed “to reach anywhere near the required kilowatts necessary to turn Japan’s industrial machinery.” It was considered that “to increase the production of coal by six million tons annually, it would be necessary to recruit 37,000 additional miners.” In Japan’s new empire there are ample resources of coal, iron and, above all, oil, but they require time to develop them and, in the case of oil, to restore installations wrecked by the Allies before the advent of the Japanese.

These resources also call for much shipping to transport the material or product. It is believed that Japan is short of ships through heavy losses inflicted by the Allies. It seems clear that Japan waged her successful war of initial conquest almost wholly out of war material accumulated over a long term of years.

This material is now running short, but a period of quiescence in the Pacific would in no long time enable replacement from the conquered countries.

It is for this reason that the Allies, with much superior war materials to hand, must hit Japan before she has time to consolidate and develop her conquests.