Evening star., 1942-04-12
Allies lmproyising
Jap Defense Despite
Cripps' Failure
Nehru Reported Planning
Personal Campaign
To Arouse Indio
B, the Associated Press.

B, the Associated Press.
LONDON. April 1.-THE failure
of the Cripps mission faces the
United Nations with a jig-saw pat
tern unprecedented in military his
tory, but the Allied high leadership
on land and sea doggedly Is impro-
vising q defense against the Japa-
nese, who already are menacing the
shores Of Bengal Bay and beating
through Burma on the highway to
the prize Of empire.
In the three weeks Of futile nego-
tiations little or nothing was &C
complished toward making an over
all defense effort, though even in
failure to settle the complicated
India question the Indian and Brit
ish leaders were agreed that Japa-
nese aggression must be stopped
somehow.
One report from New Delhi said
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Of the ALL
India Congress party, was preparing
a personal campaign to arouse India
to give her best effort against the
Japanese, and Indian leaders gen.
orally were expected to join the
British administration in recruiting
and urging the last ounce Of effort
on war production.
A responsible London source ex-
pressed confidence In the Indian de-
fense, declaring ''if there is any in
vasion Of Indian soil I believe the
Indian Army will drive it out"
100000 In Indian Army.
The Indian Army has something
like 1000 900 men-perhaps more by
now-and most are armed and fully
equipped with materials manufac-
tured in India or brought from the
Near East.
The problems Of supply and equip
ment, with their ever-present
"bottle-necks," were considered more
urgent than the problem of Indian
recruiting for which London OBJ
servers foresaw few difficulties. least
Of all political angles since few
Indians besides the leaders are in
terested in politics.
Die-hard optimists pointed out
that although Cripps' mission failed.
the Indian feeling was that he had
been hamstrung in the negotiations
by the war cabinet here in London
and that his popularity in India had
not diminished
His parting shot-that he might
return to India in what capacity
"the Lord only knows"-Was viewed
optimistically by some who specu-
lated that he might even be named
viceroy to give his popularity full
play. In this connection, 1t was
pointed out that the term of the
incumbent Lord Linlithgow has ex-
pired and that he is serving on an
extension.
Then there was the other faint
possibility that Cripps might be-
come minister OF state.
Have Hopes In WaveH.
Beyond the now moribund politi-
cal aspects. however, the British
have hopes as always in Gen Sir
Archibald Wavell. commander for
India, whom the Germans them
selves have nominated as the only
British general worthy of the title.
Gen. Wavell is no miracle man,
however, and a dispatch from New
Delhi indicated a new British with
drawal on the Irrawaddy River val
ley in Burma and told OF fighting
with light forces in the Nyaung-
bintha area, 1s miles north of
Thayetmyo and 5S miles above
Prone
The British task generally is that
Of stopping the Japanese on the
land approaches from Burma and Of
preventing safe passage across the
Bay of Bengal, where the British
have lost two heavy cruisers and a
small aircraft carrier in the week
now closing.
To face the veteran assault troops
who have been getting unequalled
experience across the width of the
southwest Pacific, Gen. Wavell has
a comparatively small number of
Imperial Troops plus a slightly
larger contingent of Indian soldiers
mainly Moslems and proven fight
ing men.
Added to these are the bomber
fighter squadrons of the United
States operating in southern India
and the American Volunteer Group
units which already have made q
substantial contribution to the re-
Sistance in Burma.
Another Victory for A. v. G.
Today's score for the A. v. G., as
announced by Chungking, was an
other victory in the face of Japa-
nese radio boasts that the Ameri-
can Flying Tigers would be shot
out of the sky. The A. v. G. re-
ported shooting down seven Japa-
neSe planes for sure and probably
four more out of 20 which attacked
an airdrome in northern Burma
Thursday. There were no A. v. G.
losses reported.
Some Chinese reinforcements may
be available for Gen. Wavell's de-
fense Of India, but If the current
Japanese encircling assault against
the Chinese flank in Burma sue
ceeds, this aid may be negatived for
a time, leaving the Chinese the op-
portunity Of only diversionary
sallieS.
An essential first step for the Al