Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-04-16

That one was in circulation
soon after Grips left London.
1t is no doubt based only upon
conjecture, and the conjecture
will be strengthened in the
minds of some people by the
way the trip turned out. Mr..
Grips certainly slowed down.
Officials here just throw up
their hands, say something about
the inexplicable intricacies of
Indian policies. and let explana-
tons go.
WHY any nation, no matter
W how deeply it has suffered
from grievances. or how thor
oughly it is criss-crossed with
conflicting political interests,
would permit itself 10 be left
standing weakly disunited, with
the Japs already at their front
door, is more than most officials
here want TO try to explain.
The outlook for India is bad.
but not as bad as it might be.
The stubbornness of the Brit
ish and Indian statesmen. of
course, almost constitutes an in
vitation to Japan to move in,
whether or not the Jap military
leaders had planned it at this
time.
A defense which elects to be
weak by choice invites attack.
The heart of India is geo.
graphically on her sleeve-the
one nearest the Japs.
Ninety per cent of her steel
and engineering industry is
around Calcutta in the eastern
arm Of the country, within easy
reach of the Jap bombing fields
of Burma.
If the Japs could roll through
Calcutta to line 200 miles west
of the city, they would have all
the main Indian industries and
particularly all the armament
production within their grasp.
TNHE workers in Indian fac
Il tories cannot be expected to
act like those in England during
bombing raids.
Their morale has not been
solidified by settlement of in
ternal political differences.
Ninety per cent of the popula-
ton in 1881 was illiterate (un-
able to write letter or read an
answer).
The government has issued an
ordinance that the workers must
remain at their posts during air
raids, but there is no reason to
expect them 10 act differently
from those in Rangoon.
The Burmese workers cracked
in panic at the first bombs, and
production ceased from that
point
.THE food situation is not good.
Il The eastern section relied
much on Burmese rice produc-
ton, now cut off.
A shortage Of wheat may
aggravate conditions in I n e
north and west. especially in a
nation whose diSunity already
has been publicly expressed in
the stubbornness of its political
leaders.
Food relief may soon be neces-
sary TO avoid riots and maintain
production.
Fifth columnistS abound there.
A fairly good secret service. the
CID. organized by the British
but including Indians, is not good
enough.
pUT, as the politicians on both
- sides must have known.
these defects could have been
remedied by an agreement in
only one really important re-
spect-morale.
No doubt Nehru and his fol-
lowers will resist the Jap ag-
gressors, and the plan of defense
made by the British controlled
army will be carried out.
Followers of Gandhi cannot be
expected 10 alter their pacifiSt
policies even when the Japs come
in the door with bayonets. They
apparently prefer death to war
in any form. ua
Thus while the failure of the
Grips mission is much against
our best interests, il need not be
fatal, and any way there is moth
ing we can do about il.
Mr.. Roosevelt's emissary,
Louis Johnson, did as much as
he could--and more. according 10
some British comments.
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