Evening star., 1942-03-12
Delayed Action News
Navy May Know Even Now, but Not Public,
Whether japanese Will Abandon Offensive

he has to begin to take counter
measures or suffer the consequences
OF being attacked unprepared. If
his lines OF communication and
operation are shorter. he can af-
ford . little more leeway in max
ing his regroupings and altering his
plans N meet the neve situation.
This IL the great Advantage which
Japan now possesses over the Cn,ted
Nations in the Pacific.
Japan Accomplished Much.
Looking at the present situation
from the Japanese point Of view,
the Japanese may we'll feel that
they have accomplished q great deal
in the time which they gained for
themselves by their attacks on the
offensive power Of the United States
at Pearl Harbor and Of Britain of
Malaga. They have occupied the
main bases Of the Dutch East Indies,
Malaga and Lower Burma. They
are In position to menace India,
Australia and the vital Allied lines
Of communication in the Indian
Ocean. But they have suffered Sc
we're losses in ships. men and planes.
Their resources, especially in planes,
are by no means unlimited. They
must now decide whether they wiz
take defensive measures against any
gathering threat in the Pacific
Ocean. or whether they will pro-
ceed with further ofYensives directed
against Australia or perhaps India
and Indian Ocean bases,
II they decide for the further
extension Of the offensive, they
must be quite sure that we shall
be 50 menaced as to compel US to
give over our own offensive plans
and come to the protection of the
areas they are attacking. But at
this point . new standard Of com.
parison comes in.
Even II the Japanese do attack
Australia or India or the Indian
Ocean lines Of communication, they
are not yet striking at the home
centers Of power Of either Great
Britain or the United States. On
the other hand, II We launch 4 sue
cessful series OF operations in the
Pacific We are beginning to threaten
directly the Japanese home centers.
and the communications by which
all the Japanese forces in all the
newly conquered areas are supplied.
May Now Be Felt.
This consideration, other matters
being anywhere near equal. must Al
ready have begun to operate on JAP
anese military thinking and plan
ming. The harder they are hit In
the Pacific. the less they can do in
the Indian Ocean and Australia.
The harder they anticipate being hit
in the Pacific, the less forces they
can dare to allocate to distant oper-
ations to the southwark, beyond the
reach Of . quick summons In time
Of need.
Thus even the present beginnings
OF United Nations offensive in the
Pacific undoubtedly already have
been the subject OF the gravest con-
sideration by the Japanese high
command, and We shall very shortly
be able to see, by what they do or
DO not do. whether they consider 1t
better to take the gamble Of going
on with their offensives or whether
they are now under the necessity
OF conforming to our moves and
producing a higher scale OF defen-
sive strength to cover their Pacific
approaches and lines Of communica-
tions. 1t is by such observation Of
the enemy that We are likely to
obtain the earliest preview of the
true strategic situation, the details
OF which may be long in reaching
the public.
tcopyrisht. 1s42. New York Tribune. Ins)