Evening star., 1943-09-20
Chandler Believes
Somebody's Troops
Must Help China
BY the Associated Press.

THE SOUTH PACIFIC, Sept. 90
Maj. Gen. Claire Chennault, COM
mander of American Air Forces in
China, believes air power alone
could drive the Japanese from that
country, Senator Chandler, Demo-
crat, of Kentucky, says, but the
Senator himself offered the opinion
that somebody's troops will have
to help China"
The Kentuckian, who with four
other members of the Senate has
been inspecting all major war fronts
on which American forces are ac-
tive, said Gen. Chennault told him
there is a desperate need for planes
at present and I'VE are taking q
chance of losing our Running base"
Senator Chandler said his own
conclusion is that if China is to
be kept fighting, her allies must
run the japanese out of Burma.
He said again he thought Gen
Douglas Macarthur should be placed
In supreme command in the Pacific
and Asia and added that he would
return to the United States with
a message to the Senate and Amer
lean people that the war effort
against Japan must be increased.
Praises Macarthur As Leader.
He praised Gen. Macarthur as q
great military leader and said:
m sold on his ability as a fight
er, and as leader he represents our
best chance of winning the war
against Japan.
Unless we soon get more men.
guns and planes out here, China is
IN danger OF being forced out of the
war. That's the risk we are running.
If China is knocked out, the war
against Japan will be prolonged"
The Senator said what he had
seen on his tour only deepens his
conviction that Japan is our primary
enemy, and added, Were not doing
enough out here"
Senator Russell, Democrat, of
Georgia, the only other Senator in
the travelling group to come here
with Senator Chandler, agreed that
this area has suffered by the policy
Of clipping" Germany first, but said
he believed an increasing stream of
supplies would be coming to the Pa
ciflc war zone.
Both Senators said this area has
been getting more emphasis since
the Churchiu-Roosevelt conferences
at Quebec.
Japs Called Strongest Enemy,
Senator Chandler reiterated
throughout his interview that the
Japanese are our strongest enemy
having the balance of power on land.
on the sea and in the air as well as
great store of resources.
He said America should not con-
tlnue a policy of take and aban-
don, meaning building foreign
bases, leaving them and then having
to fight to get them back again. he
asserted we ought to keep control
OF our bases after the war. Asked
II he meant we should keep planes
and garrisons based in Australia
Senator Chandler said:
We need anchors out here but
we wouldn't want to do it unless
the Australians wanted us to-"
The bond of friendship between
America and Australia has endured
Tor long time, he declared, and
will be continued.
U. S. Forces Efficient.
The Kentuckian said American
forces around the world are pretty
efficient, although there is some RI
valry between services and too much
red tape"
He added, however, that some
commanders were efficiently cutting
through this red tape.
Both Senator Chandler and Sen
ator Russell denied they had seen
only what local commanders had
wanted them to see. They said they
had talked to everybody from priv
ates up without supervision.
While they visited Headquarters
here, other members of the party. |
Senators Lodge, Republican, of
Massachusetts, Mead, Democrat. of
New York, and Brewster, Republi-
can, of Maine, were inspecting Qua
dalcanal in the Solomons. The
five will join at another base en-
route home.