Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-02-20
India Offers
Big Obstacle
To Jap Army
Australia Also Figured
TO Be Hard TO Beat
By PAUL MALLON

lft' ddPN WY N'pi Wy IVY hi"N
get through 10 Lashio in Burma
and cut the China road. From
Air bases surrounding Java they
may spread death through the
Dutch Fast Indies They might
get Macarthur whenever they
become willing TO pay the terri
fic price. But at the borders of
India and Australia, their bee
tlelike hordes will have 10 pause
for reflection.
India will not he easy unless
they have a fifth column much
more powerful than the British
suppose. Both CHARACTERISTICS
and his wife went into India
for the specific purpose Of per-
Suading the local leaders to
crush the fifth columniStS imme-
diately, rather than for the gen.
eral publicized purpose OF enlist
ing their sympathies.
The Indian politicians may he
snti-British. but they are also
anti-Jap. They have 100000
troops at their disposal 15
times as many as the laps had
recently on the Burmese front
nearest them and these are
fairly well equipped except in
the air.
THE japanese. however, can
L not push straight on from
Burma into India. The noun
tains do not lead that way and
there are no roads worth men
tioning. A land attack across
the wild and lofty frontier is not
likely.
What the laps will no doubt
do, if they decide 10 Try India
at all. is TO organize transports
along the Burma coast for the
type of campaign they used in
Malaga.
With swift landing thrusts
they might inch themselves along
the Indian coasts. But by the
time they reach Calcutta. their
air superiority won d surely
dwindle from lack Of nearby
landing bases (the last available
being at Rangoonl.
Australians army is listed at
100000 but her strength is
greater now. and she, too. is
favored geographically. In fact
both these vast countries offer
such formidable obstacles that
few authorities here expect that
they lie within Japanese objec-
tlVeS.
TliE British are in danger in /
L Egypt Hitler is opening up /.
new supply route across the
Mediterranean from Greece 10 /
Bcngazi. protecting II with many /
planes This fact lends further 7
dismal significance TO Churchills .
announcement that the Meditcr-
ranean is closed TO British traffic.
All British supplies must go
around Good Hope.
If the British hold Rommel AT
the Egyptian border and save
Alexandria. they will be doing
all any one here expects.
Fall Of Alexandria would he
worse than Singapore. As II .
would close the Suez and British
influence in the Near East as
well.
TNlIt' replacement Of Admiral
Hart with that Dutch adj .
miral was decided upon long be-
fore the announcement. when
the Dutch visited Nh. Roosevelt
during ChurChill'S STAY here. The
fight for the Dutch East Indies
could he plainly seen coming up
then after the prospective fall OF
Singapore
While the change has spawned
many foolish rumorS and aroused
some Of Harris unknowinC
friends hcrc. II was no doubt
ordered on the reasonable theory
that the Dutch should have the
responsibility for leading tho
defense of their own territory.
COME ono Is trying 10 pro-
- mote an arrangement whcrc- /.
by FDR'> poet and war-puhliCiSt. +.
Archibald MacLci>h. would write .
tho war cOmmuniqucS- not only
for The army and navy but for
IN" entire world. II there l. ono .
thing which would break down
confidence IN the official an
nounCcmcnt> of news from the
front. II would be- 10 take tho
task away from The army and
naNN-Not even Hitler has tried
that.
CommuniqucS in all nations
are considered tho most faCtual
and conservative of war com
munICation> They are the work
of military men not concerned
with hurrah stuff and they do
not express opinions.
The war department has boon
particularly clcan-cut IN rs COM
munIqueN 80 far. and thereby
has built ~ faith IN Us daily
recording of events
How long the Chinese can
IL hold ont with the Burma
road cut Is matter concerning
which no Worthwhile information
h ANaIIAhle s. nInrnlnnni oil.