Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-02-11
in Washington
BY PAU. M.tILON

y
INK 70 conceal ms peS>imlSm At
the Iurn Of affairs in the Far
East No official effort is being
made 10 bclitte the facts or
smooth them over with self
begtnIlng expectations.
The swift surprise visit OF
General Wavcll 10 the Moul-
mein battlefront furnished an
indication of what may come
next The laps have the troops
and opportunity To focus their
main attack, after Singapore,
upon the artery of our aid 10
China. the Burma road. On tho
Salween River front. They are
only about $50 miles away
There j. another road IN China
for us from Dacca, India near
Calcutta. but It's condition Is
ain--Fhc- most recent CVi-
denCe indicates IT i still merely
in a proposed state. Certainly
II is unfinished. If the Chinese
must rely on il 10 any great
extent for supplies from the out
side world their ability 10 con-
tinue forceful resistance To the
'JapS will immediately be called
into question.
NEW consider Australia within
the scope OF immediate Jap
plans. but there has been a dlf-
Of tA
how long the fighting band of
Macarthur could hold out.
The Australians have a size
able army, much larger than
any the JapS can transport 10
their shores for long time yet.
Their apprehenSionS are high,
but their prospects appear the
brightest Of any in the Far East
Adequate reinforcement of
Macarthur would require not
Just a few homberS or even re-
placements but the tranSporta-
ton Of An army comparable 10
the size Of the Japanese army.
half way around the world from
our shores. BombcrS and re-
placements would help his in
spring effort but could hardly
alter his basic situation.
Military men are inclined 10
agree that MacArtbuT'S ability
TO continue depends TO some OK
tent on when the JapS reach the
point where they are willing and
able 10 press "a hours a day
with constantly fresh troops 10
wear down his inferior force by
sheer strength OF numbers.
GONE arc finding consolation
~ in the question Of what the
laps now are going 10 do for
the long run with their con
quercd territory II is true
Japan is not going TO be able 10
sell any OF her newly acquired
oil, tin or rubber 10 the outside
world. that she cannot reach
her AXIS partner a long As the
United Nations are in control of
the sea outside The Far Eastern
area Also. she is short of the
'dNN W al IIldlfIldl. IRON.
But Japan ~ operating on
war economy which does not
depend on trade for the tune
being She can get some iron.
possibly enough for a while.
from Manchukuo. and there is a
little on LuZon Island i'm the
Philippines which might be de-
Velopcd. Rice. her basic food.
is aVailahlctip lndo-ChLna.
From the Standpoint OF per-
mancnGS. la ans economic posi-
tlon Is impossible. but from tho
standpoint Of getting raw ma
tcrialS 20 sustain her war effort.
her position is largely one of or
gaming facilities.
The one valid ray I'm tho pic
turC Is that i'm the region She
has acquired there is moi an mir
plane a munitions or ship
building factory She has not
cnloNCd The easy plCkupS Of fin
iShcd war materials that Hitler
enjoyed ia Europe She viii have
10 roll her own.
TlIESE unguildcd cfrcum-
L stances have encouraged
people here 10 appreciate that
Our war energy l. not half
enough yet, that the appropria-
ton OF billions or the produc-
ton of materials alone is not