Evening star., 1943-06-22

n m n is. 8glQ1
They concern David Lawrence.
vitaly our war against Japan.
The facts that have come out are
these:
l. Field Marshall Wavell has
been made Viceroy of India and
Gen. Auchinleck has been made
military commander in the Indian
area, but a separate East Asia COM
mand is being created and London
dispatches significantly remark that
an American is being considered for
the post.
2. David Lloyd George in a
public speech says that the Casa
blanca decisions now have been
superseded by the Roosevelt
Churchill decisions at Washington
and that Japan is no longer to be
considered a number two enemy, but
a number one enemy alongside of
Germany. This is the first intima-
ton Of a program that looks to-
ward the simultaneous defeat of
both Japan and Germany instead of
the "beat-Hitler- first" idea with its
suggestion of a partial demobiliza-
ton" thereafter of British forces.
Hope for China.
Apparently Great Britain and
America, with an unexampled COM
radeship and with a unity of
purpose that no amount of mutual
criticism can shake. have through
their chosen leaders decided on a
strategy that satisfies them both.
It is no secret that our high Army
and Navy officers have felt Japan
is a f1rst-class military and naval
power and must be dealt with
effectively as circumstances demand
and not as If the choice were solely
In our hands.
1t Is no secret, too, that our
military men have been distressed
because the building of air bases
and the carrying out of the ground
operations necessary to recapture
Burma and thus open up a supply
line to China did not materialize
before the monsoon season set in
this month. Apparently the meas
ures urged by America have been
adopted in collaboration with our
British allies and in due time
China, with her immense man
power and air fields. will be prop
erly modified and equipped to de-
liver death blows against Japan.
Evidently since America has been
a critic, America is to be given a
large responsibility in reopening the
Burma road, but Americans are
eager to try their hand. Once the
road to China is opened and air
bombing hits directly at Japan's
mainland on a day-by-day basis.
the American Navy will be in posi-
ton to strike hard from the mid
Pacific even as our forces of the
South Pacific gain air bases coming
north and the United States air
bombers move southwark from the
Aleutians toward Japan-the whole
thing making a four sided pincers
movement that spells the doom of
Japan.
What has happened to make a
possible beginning on even a part
OF this conception, though the con-
summation of it may take two years
or more? The answer is that two
big events of the most profound mill
tary and naval Importance have oc-
Cured. One is the discovery of ways
of cutting down merchant shipping
losses heretofore suffered in U-boat
attacks, and the other is the reopen
ing Of the Mediterranean through
the capture of North Africa and con-
troll of the Straits of Sicily.
Both these steps mean that the
figures on available shipping ton
mage suddenly have taken an
enormous leap upward. 1t is as if
we had increased our ship-building
capacity many fold For ships are
the key to this war. Planes need
supplies and air bases, and the lat
ter can't be built without the
ordinary tools, machines. and ma
terials which can be transported in
great quantity only in surface ships.
Shortening the route means a gain
in time and thus in tonnage, for if
ships can turn around faster on
voyages due to shorter distances
their utility is increased thereby.
Press Toward Victory.
What Senator Chandler of Ken
lucky and others clamored for before
the decisions were made at the
Roosevelt-Churchill conference may
not all be achieved right away, but
1t begins to appear that Britain's
statesmen now see eye to eye with us
on the Importance of defeating
Japan at the earliest possible mo-
ment without relaxing one bit our
pressure against Hitler. The belief
is that with a $4,000, 900 900 Army
appropriation bill and sums almost
half that size for the Navy and with
billions for shilbuilding, we should
be able to lick Hitler and Hirohito
at the same time.
Again it may be said that
American impatience to get the war
over within less than two wears
more-and with certain breaks in
our favor perhaps even much
Gooner-is being translated into
global policy. Japan and Germany
both may be on the defensive before
the summer is over despite the re-
curing rumors Of attempts on their
part to try some offensive operations
so as to thwart our progress and
gain time. The situation as a whole
looks decidedly better.