Evening star., 1942-04-19
BY MAI. GEORGE FIELDING
ELIOT.

The reports OF the bombing of
Toxic and other Japanese cities are
not confirmed from any non-Jap-
anese source as this article is writ
ten.
1t remains. however. of some in
terest to examine the means by
which such an operation as ti>
bombing of Toxic could be carried
out either now or in the immediate
future. In the first place, the ad-
vantageS TO be gained would have
to be weighed against the risks in
volved. The advantages might be
considered under the heads of ma
terisl and moral. The material
destruction to be expected might
be very great if the raids were we'll
planned and directed against air
craft factories, navy yards, war
ships or merchant ships in port or
under construction. munitions CEN
ters and oil depots. An attack by
incendiary bombs against the resi-
Dental districts Of such crowded
centers as Toxic and Osaka might
do an enormous amount of damage,
but there remains a question as to
whether The United Nations high
commandSis at present prepared to
order cuGh an operation, and its de-
SirabilitN on moral grounds is at
least arguable But the moral eff
feet of successful bombing attack
on Japan, directed against purely
military obiectiveS such as above de-
scribed, would certainly be very
great one and the moral advantages
to be gained might we'll exceed the
material advantages even If these
exceeded all reasonable expecta-
ttops. - + -
sWeuld Raise Chinese Morale.
First of all, in this connection, we
must think of China. The Japa-
nese successes in Burma. which ap-
pear to be continuing, have cut the
main Chinese source of outside sup
ply-the Burma road. The alternate
route from india is not yet COM
plete and may be itself endangered
by further japanese advances. Thus
the Chinese people may well feel
themselves cut off from their allies
at least temporarily-despite the
presence with their armies of
American officers and small Ameri-
can air detachments.
What is probably worse, however,
is that they have witnessed an al
most unbroken series of japanese
victories over those allies. In par
ticular, they have seen the fall OF
Singapore, which had a symbolic
prestige as the bastion of Western
power in the Far East that may have
exceeded in Importance its strategic
value, great though the latter was
Now they see japanese warShips
in the Bay of Bengal and japanese
threats reaching out toward India.
After so many years of bloody and
exhausting warfare. it is not to be
wondered if something approach
ING DESPAIR were to be found among
sCme Chinese.
Nothing could be more likely to
counteract that natural feeling than
concrete evidence Of the ability and
determination of the Western pow
ers to strike back at Japan, and
to do Japan serious harm. Like
most OrientalS, Chinese are likely
to be far more impressed by deeds
than by words. Bombs crashing on
japanese cities might be exactly
the tonic which Chinese morale
needs at this, one of the darkest
hours in the long Chinese history,
Restore Confidence in Allies.
The same is. of course, applicable
in differing degree TO India. the
Philippines and other Asistic ma
tions-the bombing Of Japan might
60 a great deal TO restore conf
dence in eventual Allied victory and
10 counte~act to some degree lost
/ prestige. It Is. however, necessary
to reflect that should this news
prove 10 be untrue the reaction
micht be most unfavorable to the
Allied cause throughout all east
Asia fact which enemy propa-
gandistS are quite clever enough
/ to perceive-and at this writing the
--------------- - -