Evening star., 1942-02-28
Jap Strategy Aimed
Al Junction With
Nazis in Near East
Allied Supply Routes
Would Be Cut, Toxic
Newspaper Suggests

BY the Associated Press.
NEW YORK. Feb. 28.-Japan's
broad strategy apparently calls for
westward strike into the Indian
Ocean in an effort to loot India, cut,
the United Nations supply routes
to the Red Sea and Persian Gulf,
and finally establish a junction with
Germany somewhere In the Near
East.
This ambitious plan, one of real
peril to the Allied Nations, was
suggested today by the Toxic For
eign once mouthpiece, the Japan
Times and Advertiser, which pointed
out that Singapore's fall put jap
anese warships in a position to prey
on United States and British ship
ping northward from the Cape Of
Good Hope and Ito destroy the
whole Anglo-Soviet plan of material
cooperation"
The reference to Russia was curl
GUS because Japan is at peace with
Russia. although many do not ex-
pect the peace to last.
The situation in the Indian
Ocean now has undergone a drastic
change" the Toxic newspaper said.
American and British shipping can
no longer sail those waters I'M
challenged"
Flanking Threat at Java.
The immediate snag to a big Jap
anese push westward is the f1anking
threat of Java.
japanese submarines long ago
were reported operating in the Bay
Of Bengal, the upper eastern part
of the Indian Ocean, and Japanese
planes now have struck at Indian
territory, raiding the Andaman
Islands, $50 miles southwest Of Ran
COON. The fall of Rangoon itself.
already abandoned as a port for
supplying the Chinese, would ex-
pose Calcutta, $50 airline miles
away.
Singapore is only 1880 miles from
Calcutta, but Japanese occupied
Penang, of the West Malayan coast,
is even nearer. In contrast, the
New York-Calcutta sea route is
1925 miles around the tip Of
Africa.
In giving up the Burma road the
Chinese look forward to aid through
Calcutta, up the Brahmaputra River
system TO Sadiya. where the So
called -Sikang road is under
construction.
Other Objectives in India.
Besides Calcutta. other likely
japanese objectives in the near
future are Madras, farther down the
Indian coast, and Colombo, CeyIon's
capital on the strategic island of
Southern India's tip.
West of Ceylon in the Arabian
Sea lie the United States and Brit
ish routes to the Persian Gulf and
the Red Sea. The former is a main
artery for supplies sent through
Iran to Russia's Red Army.
If Japan could block the Indian
Ocean routes the United States
would be cut of from that whole
area and Japan would control the
seas from Hawaii to Suez.
Likewise, a German thrust
through the Mediterranean basin
might provide an eventual link with
the japanese for a pooling of war
resources.
Would Cut OF China and Russia.
China and Russia would be iso-
lated. and the United States and
Britain left hanging on the fringes
of the Old World.
Against the grand strategy in
which the United Nations are at a
because of huge trans
portation problems, there are these
counter possibilities:
The successful holding of Java
or an eventual Allied counter of
fensive from Australia: a United
States stepping stone" assault on
Japan's back door via the Aleutian
Island chain off Alaska; or a direct
Russian assault on Tokyo from
only $50 air line miles
away.