The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1942-03-12
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National and International Problems
Inseparable from Local Welfare

\ short time ago. japanese Premier
ponese war lords have in mind in the
way of conquest. The present program,
me said, involves taking Burma, China,
India, the Dutch East Indies and Aus
tralia into Japan's so-called "Co-pros-
perity Sphere" TO Americans, that
program may seem ambitious and
vaingloriOuS. But the hard fact is that
Japan has gone long way in a short
time toward reaching her goal of abSo-
lutte dominance of everything in the
Pacific, and the United Nations have
so far been able only to slow her down.
She has not been stopped anywhere.
The fall Of Singapore has added inn
mensely to our military problem. Jap
Indian Ocean, across one of the United
Nations vital oil supply lines, and this
underseas fleet is expected to receive
surface ship support 1t is possible
that Japan will soon make physical
contact with her principal ally, Ger
many. The situation in Burma, where
American supplies go to the aid of the
seasoned, hard-fighting Chinese forces,
is bad. There, as i'm Malaga and at
Singapore, it has not been possible to
which is in any way comparable to
that of the invader.
The situation is further complicated
by the fact that Japan has organized
Il great deal of fifth column activity in
Burma-precisely as she did so sue
ceSsfuly in Malaga. The natives are
controlled by rich, corrupt clique of
priests who have little love for either
the Chinese or the white races. SO the
defending forces must fight Il war
within, even rs they fight one without
The possibility of the loss of Burma,
the Indies and other points, including
existing United Nations sea and air
bases, must be faced. 1t may not hap
pen. but there is no room in this grim
war for false optimism. If it does
happen, the center of Pacific warfare
will undoubtedly shift to Australia,
which has already suffered air attack
at Darwin.
What chance would we and our Al
lies have to hold that all-important
continent? There are certain definite
assets on our side. Australians are mag
niiicent fighters. They have done re
markabIy well in building up Sizable
air and armament Industries. The con
tinent is divided by vast desert which
is IA geographical advantage. Both the
British and the Germans have learned,
in Libya, how difficult ii is to fight on
the desert wastes~and hold gains.
On the debit side is the fact that
Australia, gigantic'in area, has Il pop
uation of only 100000. 1t is not self
contained and must import to live. And
the bulk of its fighting equipment, if
it is 10 have enough, will have to be
sent from this country Today, Aus
traIin looks To the L. s. more than to
needs for survival.
In this connection, it should be
pointed out that the lack of adequate
WAR equipment of the United Nations
lis not entirely Il problem of production
lin this country. There is II shipping
Iproblcm also That is why an effort is
being made 10 Immensely accelerate
our merchant ship output. The success
Iof that effort may, in the long run,
prove the key to the winning of the
Pacific war.
The experts are saying today that
Japan is likely to invade ASiatic Rus
Sia this Spring The strategy would be
IobViouS-lo help the hard-prcSScd
NaZiS, who have been blasted out of
many of the positions they intended TO
use as SpringboardS for Il new often
ISivc against the miraculous Red Army.
If Japan sends troops into Siberia, il
will make the Russian position eN-
trcmcly difficult.
War between Japan and Russia,
however, would do one thing for the
United Nations. II would provide them
with needed Russian air bases, in the
INladvoStok area, from which air war
could be carried straight To the Jap
IunoSe cities. From these bases it is
only II few hundred miles 10 Ioko-
hama, Tokyo and other key ccntcrS.
Russia has refused their use 10 her Al
lies for the reason that, understands
IbIy, She doesn't want to have to take
on Il new major antagonist while she
lis still up to her ears in the war with
Germany.
We must think of this war in terms
Iof global strategy. Each scene of
faction, each engagement, has Il bearing
on all the rest. The protection given
Ihy oceans grows less and less. 1t is
no wonder that many an expert
gIoomily predicts that the war may
Hast five years or even ten.
= 4 x
Civilians who believe the artificial
rubber program will provide the ma
ltion with tires are probably victims of
lWiShlul thinking. Best guess is that
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