DANGERS SEEN

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 March 1943, Page 4

DANGERS SEEN

IN GIVING JAPAN TIME TO ORGANISE AND TO DIGEST LOOT OF INDIES AMERICAN CORRESPONDENT’S SURVEY. OPINIONS OF FIGHTING COMMANDERS. (Bv Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright) NEW YORK, March 15. “If you travel some 11,000 miles south-west of San Francisco and have a first-hand look at the combat points along the 5000-mile battle-front of the Pacific war, you will realise what Australian and American leaders mean when they say that time runs in favour of Japan,” declares Frank Bartholomew, vice-president of the United Press of America, who has recently concluded a tour of the Pacific war zones. “The men who have tried conclusions with the Japanese at every opportunity during the past year—General MacArthur, Admirals Nimitz and Halsey, Lieutenant-General Emmons—are believed to be unanimous in the heartening conclusion that the Japanese can be defeated in a relatively short while after men, ships, planes and equipment which are now being sent to Africa and Europe can be diverted to the Pacific. “The composite opinion of these men seems to be that the war can be ended by an invasion of Tokio in the winter of 1945, provided that the European Axis Powers are conquered by 1944, which competent authorities believe to be the earliest practicable date. “However, if the European war runs into a stalemate, the majority opinion among the top American military leaders in the Pacific is that it will take between five and ten years to defeat Japan. In that event, time would run heavily in favour of the Japanese. The enemy would be able to sit back behind his outer perimeter defences and digest his fabulously rich loot in Malaya and the Dutch East Indies.” Mr Bartholomew says that the Japanese are already getting oil from the conquered territories, and that the production of rubber and tin is functioning again. “If the United Nations permit this to continue they will win the war against Japan the hard way,” he says. ‘‘lt will be particularly hard if a stalemate exists in Europe and the United States is forced to continue fighting on several fronts. It would call for the maximum in civilian sacrifices in America. A great increase in our production of war materials would be necessary, and we would have to raise the army by calling every available man up to 45.” .