Evening star., 1942-04-07
The Stokes in Burma

Everything seems to indicate that
Burma, for the time being, Is the
major battle-ground and that the
japanese are concentrating their
efforts there. A victory in Burma
would have not only important local
consequences but repercussions in
both India and China Of far reaching
magnitude.
The Japanese high command OBJ
viously Is striking hard for a cleanup
in Burma. The campaign takes the
form Of a three-pronged drive. Di-
verging from their main base at the
captured port city Of Rangoon, two
strong Japanese columns are driving
northward up the parallel valleys of
the sittang and 1rrawaddy Rivers.
The Sittang Valley, which lies to
the eastward, Is the short route to
Mandalay. and up it runs the main
railroad from Rangoon. This front
Is being held by Chinese troops, who
are battling desperately against
Japanese frontal assaults from the
south and simultaneous thanking at
tacks from the eastward, launched
from nearby Thailand. These Chi
neSe soldiers, commanded by our
own General Stnwell, are frst-line
troops well equipped with American
leaSe-lend arms and munitions, and
are giving a good account Of them
selves. Nevertheless. their situation
is dangerous, because they face the
same enemy air superiority that has
dogged the United Nations every
where in the Far East.
The same Is true of the British
imperials west Of the mountains in
the Irrawaddy Valley, who are trying
hard to protect the rich oil fields
further upstream which supply not
only local needs but also the motor
service over the Burma road into
Southern China. The British have
to combat both the Japanese and
swarms of Burmese guerrillas, for
the local population is mainly hostile
to their white rulers. Every Buddhist
monastery seems to be fifth column
outpost, while Burmese guides show
the Japanese secret paths and Bur-
mese mahouts ride the hundreds Of
elephants which bear or haul much
Of the Japanese supply trains.
In a sense, the Japanese are racing
against time. Punctually between
May 10 and 16, the binding monsoon
rains flood Lower Burma, turning
the terrain into marsh and mud
through which mechanized equip
ment cannot operate effectively. But
in the hilly country Of Upper Burma
the rainfall is much more moderate.
If the japanese can reach Mandalay
ahead of the monsoon, they can
probably drive on to Lashio, only
about 100 miles to the northeastward.
That Is the southern terminus of the
Burma road, and there are heaped
vast amounts of supplies and equip
ment awaiting transportation into
China. Also, the capture of Lashio
by the japanese would block any
more Chinese reinforcements. It's
fall would spell the virtual end OF
Anglo Chinese resistance in Burma,
and would free the large japanese
Army there for operations against
India. Direct land invasion across
the intervening mountains and jun
giles would be impracticable, but air
attacks could be launched on a large
scale to soften up" the densely pop
ulated Calcutta region, where Indian
heavy industry is concentrated.
Those attacks might then be followed
by troop landings from transports
protected by the Japanese Navy,
which today appears to control the
Bay of Bengal. The present political
deadlock in India is certainly an in
vitation to Japanese Intervention
On the continued resistance OF
Burma the safety of India would
seem largely to depend.