Evening star., 1944-04-09
Political Situation in India
May Affect War Profoundly
Invasion by japanese Across Jungle British Be.
lieved Impassable Holds Threat of
Serious Consequences
By Constantine Brown.

INC DFOWu.
the making and q secondary campaign
in Italy where 1t appeared even then
that we might be stymied.
After Teheran certain things which
had been sent or were being sent
to Mountbatten were needed elswhere.
The original plans Of Mr.. Churchill
had to be reshufled and the ambitious
program Of the young commander In
chief of all land, sea and air forces
In the Eastern Asiatic theater had
to be changed.
In the meantime, the Japanese were
groggy from the powerful punches they
had received from the American forces
in the South and Central Pacific areas.
Morale at home was becoming shakey.
Morale of the Japanese Army also was
deteriorating, not to an alarming degree
but sufficiently to cause good deal
OF thought on the part Of the high
command. Suicide squads" were less
willing to commit hara-kiri, and that
was bad. Reports reached Toxic that
Hirohito's soldiers and occasionally even
officers were willing to shout Down
with TOTO" and enjoyed the food and
the treatment given them by their
American captors
India Became TARGET.
India, where the Japanese previously
had not dared advance, became an at
tractive target for the Toxic Imperial
staff. The situation in that strife
ridden section of the British Empire
had deteriorated In recent months.
Little information regarding the sporadic
uprisings in India Is known to the out
side world, but it appears that there
had been more trouble than the Amer
ican and British people have been told.
The japanese, of course, know well
what Is going on across the Burma
border and 1t Is suspected that tf,eir
daring move, which appears to have
caught the British high command BY
surprise, was based on the poesihls
political effect of an invasion of Maniyur
state.
Before the actual invasion of Maninsir.
few military men believed that large
scale operations were possible across
the jungle and mountains which sepa.
rate India and Burma.
Last May when the American and
the British combined chiefs of stsffs
met In Washington Marshal Archibald
Wavell, who had not assumed yet the
position of viceroy of India but cbm.
manded the Allied forces there, came
TO washington and explained at length
why he had been 50 inactive. He tc,d
his colleagues all about the unsurmouas-
able difficulties any force would inset
IN an attempt to cross the jungle ffem
Inola to Burma. It was assumed that
there would be similar difficulties In
crossing from Burma into india. Hence.
the optimism which Characterised she
communiques issued by the commander
In chief in India, Gen. Sir Claude
Auchinleck. Most American military
observers who obtain their information
principally from their British colleagues
shared this opinion, at least to the
extent that no tanks and heavy artillery
could be brought into action In the
dimcult terrain between Burma and
India.
Japs Use Tanks.
1t appears, however, that the japanese
military leaders are less staff college,
minded" than the British because the
communiques which now are being re-
ceived from that area speak about
Japanese tanks and artillery. The same
thing occurred in 1941 and 1912 dur
Ing the japanese campaign in Malaga.
At that time, Gen. Wavell, who COM
manded the British forces in the entire
area which included the Netherlands
Indies, did not believe his position could
DE turned by large Jap forces advancing
through the Malayan jungle.
While there is no definite information
available to determine the extent of the
Japanese invasion of Manipur, respon-
sible Washington quarters express serious
concern as to the possible consequences
to the war in the event the Japanese are
not stopped in time.
The principal British military figures
IN the present campaign are Marshal
Waven and Gen. Auchinleck Both men
were brilliant staff college instructors
and are able organizers of troops in
peacetime. Neither proved successful in
wartime. Gen. Wavell had important
commands in Egypt and in the Malaya-
Singapore-Netherlands Indies theater of
operations. He did not make a good
showing, possibly not through his own
fault. Gen. Auchinleck commanded the
British in Egypt when Tobruk was lost.
His record as staff officer is excellent,
but as q field commander is less good.
Situation Causes Worry.
Now both these men are facing the
Japanese and as is natural, there are
some misgivings even among their best
American friends as to the manner in
which they conduct operations. viceroy
Waveu, OF course, Is not directly involved
IN the campaign. But as viceroy OF
India he is the commander In chief Of
all of his majesty's forces throughout
that vast territory. Gen. Auchinleck
conducts the operations personally from
his general headquarters and it is hoped
that he will be luckier than he was at
Tobruk
London is saying little about what is
going on in far away Imphal. But there
are indications that responsible men in
the cabinet are nervous about the whole
situation. The British Empire cannot
afford to lose India. Mr.. Churchill has
made this plain in many instances.
r MD