Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-04-07
Japs Seeking
Burma to Aid
Hitler Armies
Rich Oil Field Held Vital
10 Maj War Machine
BY PAUL MALLON

crafty JapS is the oil Held, which
is just about the only good
source left 10 the Chinese for
this indispensable food of fight
ing machines.
Dispatches from the front say
"Japs bomb Mandalay." They
could add in truth that Manda-
lay has more importance now
than Kipling attached to il. A
refinery in that area has afforded
China its best supply of gasoline,
and is what the Jap airmen have
been looking for.
The dispatches say the British
fell back from Prone in West
Burma and tried 10 cluster their
defense lines around an oil field
10 the north at their backs.
There are four Jap divisions in
that district fighting against
one British division.
The odds. therefore, forecast
a blow to the Chinese which will
tax their ingenuity 10 find new
sources OF oil.
TIE Japs do not need this oil
l. for themselves. They are
now sitting on fields richer than
any, except ours, in' Texas and
Venezuela.
Around Tarakan in Borneo,
there is unlimited bunker OF"
200 or 300 feet down, and only
a few hundred feet from the
docks. This fuel can be brought
into their ships with ordinary
water-well digging equipment.
No special derricks are needed
The product is of such good
quality il does not require refin-
ing, bat can be pumped direct
into the tanks of diesel warShipS.
Thus the Japs have acquired
in four months what their Axis
ally, the Nazis, have sought in
vain for two and one-half years,
the indispensable wherewithal for
permanent military power.
No way is yet apparent in
which the Japs could transport
oil to the besieged Hitler. but if
a way develops this summer. the
war may last many more years
than even the most pessimistic
have calculated.
open published resentment OF
" London at China's premature
concession that the strategic
West Burma port Of Akyab had
fallen only reflects again the
carelessnees of both Chungking
and London in accepting Jap
radio claims.
Akyab had not fallen when
the Chinese announced it, and it
appears now the Chinese were
led into false assumption at least
partly by the fact the Japs
claimed it. The matter was vital
because the loss of Akyab would
mean one of the main sources of
supplies from India was cut off.
Likewise. il is so close TO Cal
cutta. Jap bombing of that indus
trial area would be easy.
But the Australians made a
similar mistake a few days
earlier. They reported London
had announced the fab of Port
Moresby, emitting mention of
the fact that London said "ac-
cording to claims by the Toxic |
radio" Port Moresby had not
fallen and the incidents together
suggest everybody has been
listening too intently TO the Jap |
radio 49, that is. everybody ex-
cept Washington. The Toxic
technique is we'll known here,
especially since last Friday.
THE Japs broadcast at that
L time decisive claims as a re-
suit of their attacks on Corregi-
dor and Bataan. They said:
United States anti-aircraft
batteries put up severe re-
sistance against the japanese,
but japanese bOmbardments on
March 20 reduced four-fifths Of
the batteries and later lombard
ments on March 81 shattered
the entire batteries OF Corregi- |
der. .---
If they had destroyed Cor
regidor by March 81. what have |
they been coming back for since
then? Sightseeing?
If they destroyed the defenSes
Of Corrcgidor week ago today |
why arc they not in there now?
Why did shey not capture the
defenSelesS fort?
On three previous occasions !
they have claimed destruction
of Corregidor's batteries" but
apparently were never satisfied
because they have always come
back 10 destroy them again.
The same Toxic broadcast
concluded:
Successful land operations on
Bataan encountered only small
enemy forces"
Only one thing was wrong
with that. They left off the
"un" before the successful"
They could have left a standing
announcement for the past few
months that the small forces
they always encountered on
Bataan were always too big for
them.
Toxic broadcasts are not
highly regarded here.
CHINESE intelligence is now