MAJOR ASIATIC OFFENSIVE

Southland Times, Issue 24883, 24 October 1942, Page 5

MAJOR ASIATIC OFFENSIVE

War Correspondent’s Advocacy

(Special Australian Correspondent, N.Z.P.A.)

(Rec. 9.50 p.m.) SYDNEY, Oct. 23. An immediate major Asiatic continental counter-offensive against the Japanese is being urged from many quarters. Far Eastern correspondents of Australian newspapers emphasize as the first necessity of the campaign to re-open the Burma supply route to China.

The danger is foreseen that if Japan’s Asiatic successes are further extended her defensive position will become so strengthened that her defeat will certainly be some years delayed and she may even become impregnable because of her man-power and resources and the impossibility of cutting her off from raw materials. It is contended that advantage should be taken of Japan’s present preoccupation with the Southwest Pacific, where she has been forced to divert considerable strength by the American success in the Solomons. Some well-informed observers are quoted as believing that following the rehabilitation of her Pacific position Japan’s next moves will be:— (1) Invasion of Bengal to begin the conquest of India by states. (2) The capture of Yunnan, bordering Upper Burma, to prevent the Allies from restoring the supply line to South China. Siberia will not be invaded until Germany achieves the maximum penetration in Russia in Europe and then only if Hitler destroys the Red Army’s offensive power. UNDER-SEA TUNNEL PLANNED Edgar Snow, now Far Eastern correspondent of The New York Saturday Evening Post, author of “The Red Star Over China,” arid a leading authority on Far Eastern affairs, says:—“Japan is reported to be planning to join her home islands to the Asiatic continent

with an under-sea tunnel to Korea. She is also working feverishly to complete railways linking Bangkok, the Siamese capital, Rangoon, the occupied Burmese capital, Lashio, the Burmese terminus of the former supply route to China, Saigon, in south Indo-China, and Singapore in order to ensure the free flow of the vital rubber, oil, tungsten and chromium supplies. “The Allies can defeat Japan today only by a major campaign cutting her off from these essential resources she is trying to secure,” says Mr Snow. “The alternative—a successful invasion of Japan proper—can hardly be conceived without a continental base.

“The primary move in the land drive on Japanese-held territory from India advocated by Mr Snow must be one of political strategy—a proclamation of freedom for all advanced colonial people. The Allies could thus count on the full mobilization of India’s and Burma’s 400,000,000. Then, with only a small fraction of the American forces now being poured into Europe, we could safeguard the remaining bases in East Asia and launch an early counteroffensive to reopen Burma and restore China’s active front.” INDIA’S IMPORTANCE

Urging America to reinforce India at much greater strength, he says: “In a few months that opportunity will no longer exist. What can be done now with five divisions and 100 planes will afterwards require 10 times that force. The war, which can be fought now largely with Indian supplies on the spot, may afterwards have to draw entirely on American bases 15,000 to 18,000 miles distant.”

Mr Snow observes that Japan today is the world’s second largest empire, populated by 500,000,000 people. If India were conquered Tokyo would rule more than half the men and women on the earth.

“Naturally Japan loves our ‘get Hitler first’ strategy,” he says. “Tokyo hopes we will continue to neglect our Asiatic bases until we shall have none left when the time comes to support our eventual Pacific counter-offensive.”