Evening star., 1943-05-18
The Dilemma of Burma

Inc 1nglOrlOuS end OF Br1tain'S
campaign in Western Burma en-
phasizes phase of this global war
whose Importance has hitherto
been somewhat obscured, at least to
the general public here in America.
But it's significance is we'll under
stood in China and in India, and
the repercussions of the Burmese
situation, both strategic and politi-
cal, are so far-reaching that the
problem raised is no longer local.
1t must be considered and handled
as an important part of Allied grand
strategy.
That fact is undoubtedly appre-
ciated by the Allied leaders now con-
ferring here in Washington. The
presence of the land, sea and air
chiefs Of British forces in India,
and Of Generals StilWell and Chen
nault, heads of American forces in
India and China, are good proof of
that. They are presumably stress
ing the need for a real attempt to
reconquer Burma when the current
stalemate, due to the monsoon sea-
son, ends next October. Those five
intervening months are none too
long to make the necessary prepara-
tions, which must be on a vast scale
and would involve major concentra-
tions Of warships, merchant ton
mage and air power as we'll as ground
troops and equipment. This is be-
cause Burma can be retaken only by
a mighty expeditionary force pro-
ceeding by sea from India across
the Bay of Bengal to Rangoon, the
port city which is the gateway to
the valley of Central Burma that, in
turn, is the link with China via the
Burma road
The British invasion of Western
Burma which began last winter was
never designed to reconquer the
heart of the country. Western
Burma is sundered from the central
valley by towering mountain ranges
clothed with dense jungle that are
impossible for a mechanical army.
The strategic aim was to retake this
geographically isolated frontier re-
gion with its port of Akyab, which
lies some 10 miles from the Indian
border. There was also the political
aim Of helping Chinese morale by
demonstrating British activity and
military ability. Both those aims have
now miscarried. AS in Malaga and
Burma a year ago, Japan's trained
jungle fighters have proved more than
match for the British forces, COM
posed largely of Indian troops, who
are now back across the Indian bor-
der with the japanese in hot pursuit.
Why the British made so poor a
showing is not clear. The terrain
OF Western Burma is tough jungle
country, but it is no tougher than
New Guinea, where Americans and
Australians have proved themselves
as good or better than their Japa-
nese opponents.
Whatever the reasons, the psy-
Geological consequences of this set
back in Burma are serious, especially
in China. 1t is no exaggeration to
say that China's situation Is desper-
ate. Cut off from all effective aid
from it's western Allies, subjected to
unremitting japanese pressure, and
in the grip of a terrible economic
crisis evidenced by unbridled cur
rency imitation. China is war-weary
and frankly distrustful of it's West
ern Allies. Unless effective assist
ance comes soon, there is real dan
ger that China will be knocked out
of the war, which would be an in
calculable disaster for America and
Britain alike.
Now the only way to help China
effectively is to retake Burma and
reopen the Burma road. Militarily
this will be a big job, and strate-
gically it may involve troops, ships
and planes badly needed in Europe.
Yet the consequences of inaction in
the Far East for another year are so
serious that some modification of
the Allies overall grand strategy
may be required. This is a truly
worldwide war, and the strategic
picture cannot be expressed in a
rigid formula. Rather is it a COM
plex balance of factors which varies,
at least within limits, according to
the course of political as we'll as
strictly military events At any
rate, we may be sure that the Bur-
mese problem is prominently before
the conferences now going on in our
Nations Capital.