The Wilmington morning star., 1943-04-30
Interpreting
The War
BY GLENN BABR

well and Chennault in Washinpto.n,
means nothing good for Janan a
1t may mean the early implemen
tation of President Roosevelt,s
promise after his return frnns
Casablanca that important ao m
tions will be taken in the skis.
over China-and over Japan IT.
self" ~
Whatever the specific reason.
for this journey halfway arounS
the globe of the American COM
manders at grips with the enemy
in the theater nearest his home.
land, there is no doubt that it viii
intensity his fears of new blows
against Tokyo and the rest of hi.
home islands. This probably will
mean feverish attempts by tho
Japanese command to anticipata
or prevent such assaults. Thess
may take the form of new often.
sives in east-central China surh
as that of last summer.
Generalissimo Chiang's an.
nouncement that the japanese
Slaughtered every man, woman
and child" in areas in which SONS
of the fliers who bombed Tokyo
in 1912 landed, supplies the miss.
ing pieces in the jigsaw puzzle
of the To-day campaign the Jan.
anese waged in Chekiang and Ki.
angst provinces. This was part ~
the savage reaction which led IN
the execution of some Of the Amer.
lean fliers who fell into japanese
hands.
The purpose of that Campaign
was something of a mystery AZ
the time. There was some Jana,
nese talk of cutting a swathe
through southeast China which
would permit establishment of an
all-rail route from Shanghai 10
Singapore. The enemy captured
the first link in this projected
route and then, somewhat mex.
plicably, withdrew virtually to his
original positions. For a campaign
casualties he had apparently moth.
which cost some $4,000 Japanese
ing to show.
Subsequent events, however.
which cost some $4,000 japanese
have indicated strongly that the
entire operation was motivated by
a desire to get revenge for the
Tokyo raid and prevent a rero.
tition. The latter purpose fits with
a fundamental principle of Japa.
nese strategy in this war: to keep
the big American bombers as far
as possible from the land Of the
rising sun. It was pursued in two
ways, by attempting to seize and
destroy all bases from whi ch
American planes might operate,
and by using frightfulness against
the hapless Chinese population.
hoping this would terrorize them
out of any further inclination to
aid the Americans.
Chungking dispatches report that
the slaughter of the innocents was
carried deep into Kiangsi prov
ince. far from the districts in
which the Doolittle f1iers landed.
Such methods can be attributed to
a combination Of the desperation
of fear and a peculiarly savage
Japanese resentment against the
aliens that had dared profane the
'1and of the gods" We probably
have not seen the last Of this
reaction.
We can only guess at the mis-
sion of Generals Stilwell and Chem
nault, but it is reasonable to as
sumo that they are reporting 10
the President and the high COM
mand on the opportunities and
perils of the China situation as
! they see them. The opportunities.
,, of course. are those which would
be opened up by concentration OF
enough American aircraft to clear
: the China skies of the enemy ana
reach out against the concentrated
and vulnerable war industry areas
of southwestern Japan, if not the
capital. General Chennault doubt
less will make out strong case
for this. =,
Chief of the dangers is that OF
leaving China too long 10 S'ahu
alone against the Formidable con-, M
: tinental armies of Japan. lheLe
is the danger of taking emma >
continued resistance. now ap az,
preaching the end Of its slx' Il
year. too much for granted as d
constant factor in the war Sl'g'
alton. Japan maintains half a MI. .
lion men in China and as many
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