WAY TO TOKIO

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 February 1943, Page 3

WAY TO TOKIO

SEEN AS LONG & HARD ALLIED POLICY & PLANS. CRITICAL DISCUSSION IN CHINA. ■ (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) NEW YORK, February 15. A Chinese communique says that .the Japanese have been on the ofi'ensive since Friday in central, north and south China. There is aerial activity on most of the battlefields. The main activity is in the Canton area and in Kiangsi Province, and the other attacks are on the Yangtse River along the borders of Hupeh and Hunan Provinces and in southern Shansi. The Chungking correspondent of the “New York Times/’ commenting on reports from America that 500 bombers would be sufficient to enable China to drive out the Japanese within six months, says, “Informed circles here express the opinion that the defeat of Japan will require a major aerial, naval and land campaign comparable with the war against Germany. Furthermore, since the United Nations are not prepared at present to conduct the war against Japan on such a large scale, it is certain that the defeat of Japan, will require a great deal more than six months. “It is pointed out that the loss of Burma, with the consequent inadequate transport to China, necessitates much tedious preliminary work before an offensive can be launched. With 500 planes the Allies could knock out the effective Japanese air force in this theatre and could lay the groundwork for a decisive push against Japan, but it is recognised that the ultimate victory will require foot soldiers and ships to occupy the home islands and destroy the Japanese war-machine. “These troops and supplies cannot enter China by sea, and there is still no substitute for the Burma Road, whose loss was a major blow to the Allied side. The Burma Road must be retaken at any cost, after which the United Nations will still be a long way from Tokio. “The only safe way of reckoning the length of the war is to add planes to soldiers and then divide by human spirit.” The Chinese Press continues to reflect anxiety over the Casablanca decision to defeat the Nazis first. The “Central News,” commenting on President Roosevelt’s speech, says: “We can no longer conceal our vexation. We have watched the shortage of supplies to China and the wanton waste of time in defeating the enemy in Asia. “We can certainly endure more hardships and privations, but our Allies should not watch our hardships and see our defenceless cities bombed with their hands in their pockets. Our Allies should immediately comfort the Chinese with action and arms.” The “Central News” advocates a supreme war council in the Pacific to accelerate universal action. * The “Takung Pao” predicts that during the next nine months the Japanese might attack India, Russia, and West China, and says that only an attack on Tokio can prevent these possibilities. A Chinese spokesman, commenting on President Roosevelt’s speech, said that if additional aid were not forthcoming China’s economic condition might deteriorate beyond recovery. Japan might be so strengthened that it would take years before she was defeated. The spokesman called on the Allies for more equipment,, munitions, and particularly planes to bomb Japanese industries.