Evening star., 1942-03-10
Burmu Follows Juvu

"ICIIiCI tilC llCAt dPdIlCoC I1IdJO1
offensive will be directed at Australia
or India is as yet undisclosed. But
the Toxic high command is logically
committed to the completion of one
campaign already we'll under way.
This is the conquest of Lower Burma
with its capital and metropolis, the
city of Rangoon. From the japanese
standpoint, the situation there must
be cleared up, no matter what else
may be in the cards. So long as the
British and Chinese forces in Burma
have a frontage on the sea, REIN
forcements may reach them from
India; the Burma road into China
might again function, and the Japa-
nese position in Thailand would be
exposed to potential counterthrust.
Lower Burma is thus vital objective
even though the japanese should
plan to go on the defensive there and
concentrate against Australia. 1t is
still more vital to japanese strategy
if the plan is to drive against India,
because Lower Burma is the eastern
bulwark of India, and from it the
main japanese attack on India would
have to be based.
The British have been putting up
stiff fight in Lower Burma, but their
situation Is becoming increasingly
unfavorable. The japanese have cut
the main railroad line running north
from Rangoon to Mandalay, thereby
severing direct communication be-
tween the British in the Rangoon
district and the mixed British and
Chinese forces in Upper Burma.
Firmly established astride the rail-
road, the Japanese possibly are in no
hurry to drive southwark on Ran
COON itself. Indeed, there is little
Immediately to be gained by this, be-
cause the great seaport Is a smoking
ruin, evacuated by its inhabitants
and the British defenders. What the
japanese appear to be after is the
VI Vic ol1GlOI1 1OICSSs
London reports that they are striking
westward across country toward a
branch railroad which runs north
westward from Rangoon until it hits
the Irrawaddy River about 200 miles
from the capital. So long as that
railroad remains in British hands,
their line Of retreat to Upper Burma
is open. But the distance between
the two railroads at the present
Japanese striking point is less than
fifty miles, so the f1anking move
may be rapidly accomplished.
Once encircled in the Rangoon
area, the British forces would have
scant chance of escape. Rangoon
lies in fat delta country with no
natural obstacles to hold off an in
vader. What is even more important,
London dispatches likewise admit
that Japanese sea power now vir-
tually controls the Bay of Bengal.
Since there is no overland connection
by either rail or highway with India,
if British forces we're besieged in
Rangoon it would be impossible
either to evacuate or reinforce
them through the japanese naval
blockade.
The indications are, therefore, that
all Lower Burma soon will be in jap
aneSe hands. The question then will
arise whether drive northward will
be made into Upper Burma to subju-
gate the country clear to the frontier
at Lashio, the Burmese end of the
Burma road. or whether the Japa-
nese will consider the conquest of so
large an area of difficult country not
worth the cost, now that the Burma
road has been closed to the outer
world. That, in turn, presumably
depends upon whether the next
Japanese objective is India or Aus
tralia.