Evening star., 1943-08-22
Prestige Of Allies
BoIstered in Asia by
Victories in Europe
BY A. T. STEELE,

by "A. Il. STEELE,
Foreisn Correspondent of The Star ant
the Chicago Daily News
NEW DELHI, Aug. 2l.-Alliec
prestige in the countries of Asia i;
gaining ground with each successive
Allied victory on the battlef1elds oi
Europe.
This process has only begun. but
we are on the way at least to re-
pairing the huge damage inflicted or
the white mans standing in the
Orient by the dazzling Jap military
conquests in the month following
Pearl Harbor.
Nevertheless, Allied arms still have
to make a great deal more progress
in both Europe and Asia before
Asia's millions are convinced that
Japan is doomed to certain defeat.
Propaganda Fails.
Our propaganda program in most
parts of occupied Asia has been
sterile. The majority of American
observers on the spot believe it will
remain so until the United Ma
tions are able to present a clearly
enunciated program for the political
future of the Asiatic peoples.
MEANWHILE, our most potent
sources of prestige in Asia must stem
from the growing respect for Allied
military progress and the realization
in most Of the occupied countries
that, whatever may be the Allies
postwar program in Asia, it could not
be as bad as what the Japanes have
brought them under the guise of
new order"
Certain results from the switch in
Allied fortunes already are plainly
evident:
In India our European successes
have just about demolished any
hope that the Indian Nationalists
may have had of prof1ting from a
close war to force the British to
acquiesce in their demands. Their
bitterness has not diminished, but
their helolessness and resignation
have increased.
China Finds Hope.
In China good news from Europe
and the South Pacific undoubtedly
is having most important bolster
ing influence upon its difficult and
dangerous internal situation. China's
experiences would almost be unbear-
able were the country not convinced
that the Allies are winning the war
and that the end. as Generallssimo
Chang Kai-shek indicated in re-
cent speech, at last is in sight.
There is evidence that the news
OF Allied war gains is filtering even
into some Japanese controlled re-
gions of the Far East and making
the Jap task more difficult. In Oc-
cupied China the remarkably eff
cient bamboo wireless" is defying
Jap attempts to keep the people in
the dark about world happenings.
In Burma certain amounts of
truth about the war filter across the
frontier from India.
In Thailand and French Indo-
China listening to Allied broadcasts
is still popular indoor sport.
Raids Promote Thought.
In other occupied territories of
tIl6 oIleIIt VlSlit Jap COiitlo1 iiidhCo
it almost impossible for the Allies
to present their case, though recent
long distance raids by Gen. Douglas
MacArthur's bombers against vital
targets in the Dutch East Indies
must be giving Indonesians little
food for thought.
In the absence of any coInpTe-
hensive Pacific Charter, supported
by the combined backing of the
United Nations, statements of in
dividual British and American men
on Asia's political future have ceased
to have much propaganda value in
this part of the world. For instance,
President Roosevelt's recent speech
pledging respect for the right of all
peoples to choose the form of gov
ernment under which they will live
created scarcely ripple here in
India. Such a declaration year
ago would have been headline news.
tcopyright, 1943, Chicago Daily News Inc.)