Evening star., 1942-01-17
Brituin Looks East

Britain Looks East
The startling progress of japanese
arms Is producing sharp repercus-
sions of opinion, not only in America
but even more so in Britain. When
Japan struck it's treacherous blow at
Pearl HarbOr on December 7, Prime
Minister Winston Churchill promptly
redeemed his pledge to back America
by declaration of war against Nip
pom within the hour" Thenceforth
Britain and its Dominions were at
war with the Empire of the Rising
Sun.
However, this fact did not greatly
perturb either official or public
opinion. The new war in the Far
East was at first regarded by London
as more or less of sideshow which
could be handled by the United
States and which should not seri-
ously modify Britain's current
strategic objectives. These were
outstandingly prosecution of the
Iibyan campaign and aid to Russia
in its hopeful counteroffensive Hit
Ter was deemed so exclusively
public enemy number one that moth
ing should distract British efforts to
deal him and bis weakening ally,
Italy, the maximum damage. The
theory was that, if Germany could
be quickly put on the defensive and
clearly threatened with defeat,
temporary japanese successes in the
Orient would matter little, since
they could be redeemed later on.
The events of the past six weeks
have tended to modify that confident
outlook in many British minds. The
American naval disaster at Pearl
Harbor, swiftly followed by the loss
Of Britain's two capital ships in the
Orient, gave the japanese naval SUI
periority in the Far East, while it
soon became evident that they en-
toyed an even greater air superiority
over the Allies. Enjoying these price
less advantages, the japanese high
command has been able to strike
almost at will. So, within the brief
space of six weeks, the Philippines
are practically gone, most of Malaga
with its riches in rubber and tin is
lost, Singapore is threatened, and
the outer defenseS of the Dutch
Indies are badly preached. And the
Japanese offensive shows no signs
OF being checked effectively.
All this is producing a growing
chorus of criticism in London. The
British government has taken full
responsibility for its lack of pre-
paredneSs in the Far East, typifled
by the argument of Lord Croft,
Undersecretary for War, that if we
attempted to have substantial armed
forces everywhere we should be able
to resist the enemy nowhere" Basic
ally, this answer is perfectly valid
Yet some critics are asking whether
the continuing campaign in Libya
balances the loss of Hong Kong and
Malaga; whether Australian charges
that the British high command has
been thinking too much in European
and North African terms may not be
justified.
These critics point out that, if
Japan is not soon stopped, it's sue
cesses may endanger not only the
Far East and Australia, but India
and the Middle East as we'll. If
Singapore should be captured or
blockaded and the Dutch Indies
overrun, Japan's formidable navy
could enter the Indian Ocean, attack
Burma and threaten China's life line
with the outer world, and disrupt all
British supply routes east of Suez.
Such a situation might entail dis
astrous consequences involving not
merely Britain and its empire, but
China and Russia as we'll
There are indications that changes
soon may be evident both in British
grand strategy and on the makeup
of the home government. Cabinet
changes are anticipated in the near
future, while heavy reinforcements
for the Far East are repeatedly in
contemplation or actually under way.
Britain seems to be aroused to the
fact that Japan no longer can be
underrated; that this war is truly
global.