THE BURMA ROAD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24423, 8 October 1940, Page 6

THE BURMA ROAD

When the British Government in July came to an agreement with Japan for the closing of the Burma road for a period of three months, Mr Churchill explained with candour the considerations that influenced the decision. It was impossible, he said, to ignore the dominant fact that Great Britain was engaged in a life-and-death struggle, which emphasised the desirability of preserving good relations in the Far East. The continuance of the transport of war materials to China by a British-controlled route obviously could not encourage AngloJapanese friendship. But Great Britain had no intention of deserting the people of China in their struggle to maintain their freedom and integrity. The closing of the Burma road was, therefore, “ a temporary arrangement in the hope that the time so gained may lead to a solution just and equitable to both parties in the [Sino-Japanese] dispute, and freely accepted by them both.” The compliance with Japanese demands for the shutting off of a main supply route to China plainly involved some loss of British prestige in the Far East The United States Secretary of S<ate, Mr Cordell Hull, and the Chinese Generalissimo both expressed concern at the decision. But since the closing of the road coincided with the season of torrential rains in Burma the practical effect in limiting Chinese imports of war materials could not be considerable, unless it became permanent. It was made clear in Mr Churchill’s statement that the British Government had no intention of depriving the Chungking Government of supplies, provided the Japanese aggression in China continued. Nearly three months have now passed, and the time has come for a review of the decision. The Government in Tokio has left small remaining doubt as to the idle nature of the hopes entertained by Mr Churchill that Japan desires conciliation in the Far East, unless on the basis of a granting of extreme demands, and probably Anglo-American agreement in a Japanese seizure of French and Dutch colonies. When the future of the Burma road is considered by the British Government, the bellicose attitude of Japan towards her Pacific neighbours and her unfriendliness towards Great Britain and the United States, as strikingly exemplified in the pact, with the Axis Powers, are factors which must influence a decision. Japan can have no cause for complaint if this is unfavourable to her.