Evening star., 1942-08-30
Allied Offensive in Pacific
Could Upset Axis Schedule
Nazi and japanese Attempt at Pincers Through
Mideast Seen Thwarted if i. S..Australian
Forces Strike Heavier Blows at Nipponese
Bv Constantine Bro,Cn

The Mediterranean Basin, the Indian
Ocean and the South Pacific are likely
to be the scenes of the most spectacular
air and sea battles yet fought in this
war when the Nazi-Japanese offensive
in those areas begins, probably within
the next few weeks.
Unless the American Australian forces
In the South Pacific succeed by drastic
steps in holding back the japanese, the
much-feared synchronized offensives of
the two principal Axis partners will be
a fact, with the Japs launching their
main attack on India and the Nazis at
tempting to join hands with them
through the Near East.
1t seems doubtful, from available re-
ports, that the Russians can prevent
the Germans from reaching their OBJ
iectives-the Caucasian oil fields, the
Caspian Sea and Stalingrad. The best
the Russians can do is economic their
forces and remain on the defensive until
fresh war material arrives to enable
their vast manpower to start anew their
fight against the enemy. Hope fingers
in some quarters that Marshal Semeon
Timoshenko's forces will be able to stop
the Nazis short of their objectives, but
high-ranking military experts do not
seriously believe this will happen. They
hope for the best and fear the worst.
Nazi preparations for a campaign
against the Suez Canal and the Near
East are nearly complete. Egypt's torrid
temperatures are now subsiding some
what. The Nazis have already begun to
move large numbers Of planes and inn
portant army units to Greece and the
Islands of the Aegean and important re-
tnforcements have reached Field Mar
shal Erwin Rommel. The Nazi i-controlled
ports OF the Black Sea are humming
with activity.
Could Repair Novorossisk.
Although the Russian Black Sea port
Of Novorossisk will unquestionably be
heavily damaged by the time the Ger
mans march in, the Nazis probably will
be able to repair the worst parts of it
within few months.
Marshal Rommel has managed to get
his reinforcements across the Mediter-
ranean in spite of the determined at
tacks of the American and British air
force and British cruisers and sub
marines. Moreover, 1t is expected that
when "der tag" arrives the French gov
ernment will not object to the Nazis
using French bases on both sides of
the Mediterranean. French Chief Of
Government Pierre Laval ID pledged to
policy OF colhborat ton With Berlin and
would do Anything IN liis power. to please
his Nazi masters. provided they let him
keep his ONCE.
1t is not easy to determine how many
men and how much war material and
other vital supplies the Nazis have
gotten across the Mediterranean, but
Allied military men are worried. The
reinforcements which the United Ma
tions are sending the new commander
in chief, Gen. Sir Harold Alexander,
must travel $4,000 miles before they
reach the Red Sea, while the Nazis are
only few hundred miles from the
future theater of operations
The danger to Egypt is not under
estimated, neither is the Importance of
retaining possession of that territory,
regardless of the price. The Allies will
spare no effort to prevent Marshal ROM
mel from advancing further and the
test of whether powerful aviation really
can check the progress of an army only
supported by aviation will be applied
New Strategy Foreseen.
We already have powerful air force
In that area and more planes are being
ferried across every day. But it is
doubted that Marshal Rommels army
will be used as single steam roller as
was the case few weeks ago. The
Nazis probably will allow their desert
general to open the attack, while other
drives develop against Syria and Turkey
where the Allies are less well supplied
with modern war equipment.
The Near East is regarded in Wash.
ington as the paramount front in the
entire East No effort is being spared tt
make the Nazis' task impossible, but dis
tances are against us. The actua
strength OF the United Nations in thai
area is not known, however, and may
be greater than most people imagine.
While everything humanly possible il
being done now to defend the Near East
an equally serious situation is expected
to arise in the Indian Ocean. The
monsoon rains will end some time early
next month.
Before our reconquest of the Solomon
Islands the japanese had been sending
large reinforcements to Burma, where
they now have an imposing force at tht
gates of India. Planes, tanks and mer
have been gathered in that area eve
since the British defense collapsed il
Burma
The political situation in India play
into their hands. Few reports of wha
is going on in that vast country reach
the outside world, but it appears that tn
civil disopeoience movement, led by Mo
handas K. Gandhi, is progressing
Censorship is stringent and news
gatherers cannot be everywhere through
the length and breadth of that land.
Settlement Outlook Poor.
For the moment there does not appea
to be any prospect of an understandin
between the British and the Indian Ma
tionalists. The Indians charge tha
vested British interests have obstructe
whatever good intentions the Britis
government might have had. The Brit
ish government accuses the India
Nationalist leaders of being frankly pro
Japanese and of desiring to obtain i'm
mediate independence in order to ope
the gates to the japanese.