GREAT EFFORT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 February 1943, Page 3

GREAT EFFORT

DEMANDED OF JAPAN. IN ORDER TO HELP GERMANY. WASHINGTON, February 13. “Japan must make a major offensive move in the Pacific soon in order to counter-balance the Nazi reverses in Russia and Africa,” the Chinese Ambassador to the United States, Dr. Wei Tao-ming, said today. “The rout of the Germans at Stalingrad and their certain extinction in North Africa have brought to Japan a new and alarming situation,” he said. “Japan must now create a diversion of immense proportions in order to keep Germany fighting and prevent the United States and Britain from turning their full power into the Pacific.” Remarking that America’s answer to this situation was obvious, Dr. Wei

said, “A grand offensive in the Pacific might beat Japan to the draw. A United Nations’ offensive, started now, might beat Japan before she has completed consolidations which are now in progress.” While no comment is yet to hand from Chungking on President Roosevelt’s speech, the Chinese newspapers are reported to have expressed disappointment at Mr Churchill’s statement of the Allies’ intention to leave largescale action against Japan till Germany is beaten. Significantly, the “China Times” says: “The next United Nations conference is to be held in nine months’ time in Asia, and it will probably include more persons that Messrs Roosevelt and Churchill and British and American experts.” The “New York Times” offers the following editorial comment cn Mr Churchill’s speech:— “Mr Churchill’s pledge of Britain’s full might to defeat Japan kills another canard. There has been a pseudo-knowledgeable buzzing in China and America that Britain would leave America to carry on the Pacific war alone as soon as Germany was crushed. It is a variant of the old theme of pulling the British chestnuts out of the fire. Anyone who is familiar with British psychology and politics would know that this insinuation was ridiculous. It is fortunate that Mr Churchill has brought the nasty business into the open and dispersed it for good.”