Evening star., 1943-09-17

WHICH we started last 1all, Will lead
directly to the resumption of our
complete control of the waters of
the Eastern Indian Ocean and the
Bay of Bengal. Thus, we shall be
enabled to strike the japanese on
another of their highly vulnerable
flankS.
AS long as Italy remained in the
war as our enemy-aS long as the
Italian fleet remained in being as
threat-a substantial part of Brit
ish naval strength had to be kept
locked up in the Mediterranean.
Now that formidable strength is
freed to proceed eastward to join in
the eVer-increaSing attack upon the
Japanese. 1t has not been sufficient
ly emphasized that the freeing of
the Mediterranean is a great asset
to the war in the Far East.
There has been one serious gap
in the lines of our globe -girdling
sea power. That is the gap be-
tween Northwest Australia and Cey-
Ion. That gap now can be closed as a
result of victory in the Mediter-
ranean.
We face, in the Orient, a long and
difficult fight. We must be prepared
| for heavy losses in winning that
fight. The power of Japan will not
collapse until it has been literally
pounded into the DUST. 1t would be
the utmost folly for us to try to
pretend otherwise.
Closing In on Japan.
Even so, if the future is tough for
us, think what it is for Gen. TOTO
and his murderous gang. They may
look to the north, to the south, to
the east or to the west. They can see
closing in on them, from all di-
rections, the forces of retribution
under the Generalissimo Chang
Kai-shek, Gen. Macarthur. Admiral
Nimitz and Admiral Lord Mount
batten.
The forces operating against ia
pan in the various Pacific theaters
are just as much interrelated and
dependent on each other as are the
forces pounding against Germany
in Europe.
With the new threats that we
offfr from the Aleutians, Japan
cannot afford to devote as large a
proportion of her forces to hold the
lines in other areas.
| Such actions as the taking of
Attu and Kiska do not just happen.
| They are the results of careful and
complete planning which was going
! on quietly while some of our critics
were so perturbed that they had
reached the verge of tears ovr what
they called the threatened invasion
| of Seattle, Portland, San Francisco
| and Los Angeles. 1t was difficult
| for them to realize that the carefully
prepared and crucial tests in the
Coral Sea and at Midway and in
the Solomons rendered the Japa-
nese toehold in the Aleutians un-
tenable.
Japan has been hard put to main
tain her extended lines. She had to
withdraw her garrison from Kiska
in the face of the oncoming Amer
ican- Canadian forces because she
could not maintain a steady stream
of adequate reinforcements and
supplies to the AleutlanS.
Threat Was Removed.
| In the Solomon Islands, with
heavy fighting, we have gained so
many island air bases that the
threat to Australia and New Zealand
across the Coral Sea has been prac-
tically dissipated. In fact, it is safe
to say that our position in that
area has become threat on our part
against the japanese in the seas that
lie north of the Solomons and north
of New Guinea.
American, Australian, New Zealand
and Dutch forces in a magnificent
campaign in New Guinea and the
Solomons have destroyed much
japanese strength and have gained
for us new bases from which to
launch new offensive operations.
After a long period of defensive
strategy in Burma, we are deter
mined to take the offensive there.
am also glad to report to you that
we are getting more supplies and
military help to China. Almost
every day word comes that a new
air battle has destroyed two and
three times more japanese planes in
China and Burma than we our
selves have lost. That process will
continue until we are ready to strike
right at the heart of Japan itself.
1t goes almost without saying that
when Japan surrenders, the United
Nations will never again let her have
| authority over the islands which
were inundated to her by the League
OF Nations. Japan obviously is not to
be trusted And the same thing
| holds good in the case of the vast
territories which Japan has stolen
from China starting long before this
war began.
Enemy Strength Reduced.
Since the beginning of our en-
trance into the war, nearly two
years ago, the United Nations
have continuously reduced enemy
| strength by a process of attrition.
| That means, cold -bloodedly, plac-
ing the ever-increasing resources
of the Allies into deadly competition
with the eVer-decreaslng resources
of the Axis. 1t means the training
| and use of the Allied manpoWer-
which is greater than the Axis. 1t
means the use Of our superior IA
| cilltieS and ability to make more
munitions and, above all, aircraft,
more quickly than our enemies can
do.
For example. the Allies today on
| the European front have a definite
superiority in almost all weapons
| OF war on any and every point of
| the encircling line-more guns,
more tanks, more planes, more
trucks, more transports, more sup
ply ships and more Warships.
In the Pacific we have taken
steady toll of japanese war planes
| and a steady toll of japanese ships
merchant ships and naval vessels
The odds are all in our favor for we
grow in strength and they cannot
even replace their losses. 1t might