Evening star., 1941-12-05
Defenses of Burma
A Problem for japan
Writer Says MiIitorists
Would Take 'FotefuI Gamble
If They Occupied ThoiIond
BIZ Leland StO1Ue,

By Leland Sto1Ue,
Correspondent of The Star and Chicago Dali,
News. Inc
ON THE BURMESE-YUNN BOR-
DER CBy Clipper -Burmas common
frontier with Japanese controlled Indo-
China is only about 100 miles long, but
the Burmese-Thaiand border extends
southwark for more than 600 miles and
down into the Malayan Peninsula. This
simple geographical fact explains why
japanese army and air force in Thai
land Immediately would threaten to
spread very greatly the zone of hostili-
ties in the Far East If Japan ever
expands through Thailand to that coun-
try's western frontiers, Great Britain's
position in Singapore and Burma will be
menaced directly-but SO will the entire
structure of American lend-lease aid to
China.
In recognition of the full meaning of
Japanese armed forces in Southern
Indo-China and of their possible over
flow into Thailand at any time before
the rainy season begins next May, the
British have steadily increased their air
squadrons in the Malayan States and in
Burma. Indian and Australian troops
also continue to debark at Britain's Far
Eastern outposts, while American de-
tense forces have reached a new high
IN the Philippines. Thus, together with
the Dutch East Indies, an anti-Axis
front grows stronger every month around
the South China Sea and extends from
Singapore far up along the mountain
ranges into these northern Shan States
of Burma.
You may wonder, then. what the Jap
anese army's problems would be like If
ever its commanders risked using Thai
land as base either against Singapore
or against Burma, with its vast rice pro-
ductlon, its important oil fields and its
lifeline road into China. In such an
event Japan's militarists would be taking
probably the most colossal and fateful
gamble in their nations history. First,
because air or sea operations against
Singapore could not fail to be exceed
ngly costly-perhaps fatally so-for
Japan Secondly, because Burma's 600
mile frontier with Thailand is protected
almost throughout by a great mountain
range While the deep gorges of the
mighty Mekong River cleave the much
shorter Burmese-Indo-Chinese border.
From Chiengmai in Northwestern
Thalland and from other western points
japanese airplanes could operate against
Burma S main railroad and highways.
along the Irrawaddy Valley. But Japan
could not do this without bringing Brit
ain into the war against her, and her
alrmen would have to taste the bite of
crack Australian and British airmen in
fast fighter planes. Things have
changed very greatly in this part of the
world since year ago-a fact which
undoubtedly exercises a restraining in
f1uence upon Toxic.
Operating by land from Thailand there
are only two or three points at which
the Japanese could attack Burma. The
only motor road runs from Mesai in
Northern Thailand, near the border over
terrific mountain ranges to Keng Tung
in the southern Shan States. This road
easily could be destroyed or blocked by
Burma's defenders. Further south an
other and more accessible road runs from
Mya Waddy on the Thailand frontier
some 40 miles or more across the Moul-
mein on the coast. This conceivably
might tempt the japanese, but defensive
forces could be concentrated in such
narrow strip of terrain as exists there.
All Of which indicates that Burma's de-
fenses, natural and otherwise, are suffi-
cient to give considerable pause to the
japanese, even if they should OCCUPY
Thailand.
Copyright 1a41, by Chicago Daily News.