Evening star., 1942-07-09
Value Of Defeating
Japs Or Nazis First
Analysed by Briton
Allies Must Decide,
Brig. Bourne Tells
Virginia U. Group
3s the Associated Press.

6S ths A4SoclAteo Press.
A high British Army officer raised
the question last night whether it
would not be good strategy to
knock Japan out Of the war before
concentrating on Germany.
But he agreed that equally sound
arguments could be made for elimi-
mating Hitler's armed might first
and said the ultimate decision
rested with the United Nations war
planners, Of which he is a member.
The speaker was Brig. G. K.
Bourne, member of the British joint
staff mission in Washington. His
discussion Of considerations con-
fronting anti-Axis leaders in map
ping war strategy, before the Uni
versity of Virginia's Institute of
Public Affairs at Charlottesville,
Va, was read with interest by official
Washington.
Britain's Defense Held Essential.
Brig. Bourne posed the question as
to which main enemy" should be
concentrated on first after a long
recital Of strategic possibilities. A
possible overall strategy, he said,
would be that of defeating Japan
by forcing its main feet into action
and conquering Germany through
an eventual invasion of the Euro
pean continent.
Declaring that the two great in
dustrial bases of the United Ma
tions-the United Kingdom and
North -America-and the sea routes
between them must be held at all
costs, the British officer said from
this point of view it must be the
first plank in our defensive strategy
to defend the British Isles and to
pursue the. ant-U-boat campaign
with increasing vigor."
But this is no reason" he added,
"for deciding to concentrate on the
defeat Of Germany before Japan.
Potentially she Germany has
greater power to wage war than
Japan and can be considered the
stronger partner. Is it sound
strategy to attack the stronger
partner, or will it be better to
weaken her by cutting down the
weaker first?
Again. is Germany at this
moment, the stronger partner?
Japan has placed herself in a posi-
tion of great strategic and economic
strength. If she is allowed time to
consolidate and expand her war in
dustry she may. perhaps be a tougher
customer than Germany itself"
These considerations, together
with the fundamental necessity of
conserving shipping and concentrat-
ing it when the time comes to the
best military advantage, Brig.
Bourne said, must lead to definite
decision on our war strategy"
Hitler's Own Strategy Cited.
The United Nations, Brig. Bourne
said. refuse to be ruled by historic
precedent and are determined to
find new methods for the final
offensive" 1t might develop, he
added, that the Allied methods of
attack would have to conform to
! the principles of Hitler himself.
In other words" he said, I'VE may
be right in not plunging ahead into
an uncalculated risk but rather beat
Hitler at his own game in the pre-
liminary phase; by softening proc
ess, by continued blockade, by in
creaSingly intense British and Amer
ican bombing, by the threat of in
vasion and by raids on the model of
Cherbourg, and more recently st.
Nazaire.
This process, together with the
rising temper of the occupied
countries, will enable us to achieve
what has never been done, or even
attempted, before"
Turning to the Pacific, he said
Japan had the advantage of fighting
] on interior lines, and had skillfully
I arranged successive advances in a
way which ever gave Nipponese sea
| forces the advantage of protection
from land-based aircraft. This pro-
cedure the Allies may have to fol-
low in their own offensive against
the japanese, he added.
( Japan's Weaknesses Analyzed.
! AS the situation stands, he con-
tinued, Japan itself is virtually
secure from attack from all quarters
except Siberia. 1t may be, ne re-
marked, that the Japs will feel 1t
necessary to eliminate that source
of danger before attempting fur