Evening star., 1942-02-15

in what could be the mightiest naval bat
ties of the worlds history
News of the past week makes clear the
are coming to occupy In the strategy
planning Of the United Nations. The
situation of India was discussed by the
Pacific Council in London. Gen. Chang
Kai-shek visited New Delhi, the Indian
capital, to discuss joint Chinese-Indian
military operations in Burma to stop the
japanese by land. The ancient land Of
Eastern civilization is about to become
a stronghold in the fight to preserve
Western civilization as we know it.
Japan In Best Position.
The prospect Of Japan's operating on
a major naval scale in the Indian Ocean
is small, strategists consider here, be-
cause Japan, like the other powers, lacks
a two-ocean navy. Japan will have to
use naval forces to defend her long lines
in the Pacific and along Asian shores.
But Japan is in better naval position
with regard to the Indian Ocean than
any other power.
The British have controlled the Indian
Ocean in the past through their lines Of
naval bases, which begin at Gibraltar
and dot the eastward course to the
Straits Of Malacca at Singapore. Singa-
pore is useless for the British now. The
Mediterranean bases are vital In the de-
fense Of Africa, let alone India. The
American Navy defends the United
States in the Pacific and guards the
supply'l line to England and Africa in the
Atlantic.
The key spot in the Indian Ocean Is
the country which lends that sea its
name. India. 1t was in search of India
and the Indies by short route that
drove Christopher Columbus to sail west
ward across the Atlantic and to the New
World. Development of India and the
rest of the East helped the progress Of
modern civilization of the West. India
is symbol of the European restless In
terest in the world beyond Europe. The
King of England is the Emperor Of India.
India Has Stake in War.
"As an Indian" Sir Girja, the Indian
Agent General, told me, Il have just as
much at stake in this war as you and all
my American friends. My people are
fighting for everything they hold worth
while, their inheritance from the past
as well as their hopes for the future.
with the fall of France. reconsidera-
ton of the whole allied strategic posi-
ton throughout the world became nee
essary, and in the autumn of 1910 q
| survey Of the possibility of a further
expansion Of India's industrial output
for war purposes was undertaken.
Nov, Indian output of war material
may be Insignificant in comparison with
| that of the United States or Great
| Britain or Soviet Russia, but in her
strategic position, with shipping almost
| perilously short, its value to the demo-
cratic cause is out of all proportion to
| mere units of measure.
Her industrial potential is capable
| of further substantial rise, If certain
essential tools and machinery and ma
| terials of heavy industry be supplied.
For these tools and materials and
weapons, such as airplanes and tanks,
| India must look to the United States
and to those of her allies whose indus
trial resources and technical skill are
| more highly developed"
So a race now begins, between the
| Allies on the one side, who need to press
| further India's industrial development,
and the Axis partners, who hope, ac-
cording to observers here, to make use.
less the present Indian industrial de-
velopment.