Evening star., 1944-03-31
Japs Give u Up Coal and Oil Leases
To Russia; Pacific Setback Seen;
Births h Surrender Base in Burma
Enemy Captures
Tiddim, 100 Miles
Below ImphoI

| NEW DELHI, Mar. 31.-British
forces have surrendered Tiddim
their forward base in the Chin
Hills of Burma, 100 miles below
Imphal, Gen. Sir Claude Auchin-
leck, British commander in In
dia, told the Indian Legislature
today.
! The disclosure was made almost
simultaneously with the announce
ment in a communique from Ad-
miral Lord Louis Mountbatten that
japanese jungle parties spread over
front of nearly 200 miles were
persistently probing deeper into
Eastern India's defenses and had
penetrated into the main communi-
cations of the vital Manipur plain
Gen. Auchinleck declared, how
ever, that Imphal itself was strongly
defended and declared such pene-
tration was not likely to be of major
Importance.
Il am convinced" he said, that
the security of Assam never has
been in danger, let alone the secur-
| ity of India"
British Forces Joined.
At the same time he announced
that British forces fighting their
way north from Tiddim through
Japanese road blocks had joined
other British forces which fought
their way southwark along the road
from Imphal.
The Mountbatten communiaue
said one raiding party broke
through to the main road running
north from Imphal capital of Mani
pur State, to Kohima, go miles to
the north, and, although this party
was forced away after it had dam
aged a bridge and carried out some
ambushes, still other Japanese were
able to lay down mortar fire on the
Another japanese infiltration par
ty was reported to the north of
kohlma, striking at the communi-
cations of that center on the road
to the Brahmaputra Valley and the
iiiain AllleQ supply system.
Heavy Jap Pressure.
Japanese pressure, meanwhile, re.
mained heavy near Palel, "a miles
southeast of Imphal, on the Tiddim
road south of Imphal, in the north
ern hill tracts east of Koflima.
The fighting near Palel apparently
represented an advance of severa
miles, for the Japanese last were re.
ported halfway between Palel ane
Tamu on the Burma border, Al
miles from the Manipur capital.
The communique said, however
that Japanese had been forced tt
scatter into the hills northeast o.
Imphal after a heavy Allied bombins
and straflng.
While air. borne commandos again
carried out daring strike, raid
ing the airleld of Aniskan and de-
stroyng an aircraft, British and
American aviators carried out rec
ord series of operations for this
theater, making $50 sorties and los
ing only one plane.
Threat Minimized.
The Japanese gains in the border
area were made despite Gen. Au.
chinleck's reassuring statement. Gen
Auchinleck conceded, however, thar
Temporary interruptions of com.
munlcations might take place.
We cannot stop every Japanese
thrust as soon as it makes itself
apparent, he said. And it there
fore always is possible that some o1
these may succeed in temporarily in.
terruptlng our communications"
CThe Toxic radio declared the
Imphal Kohima highway had
been cut 25 miles north of I'M
phal. In the southern sectors, pre-
Sumably in Arakan, the radio
said, the bodies of $500 Allied
soldiers had been picked up when
the British were forced to adjust
their lines. Seventy-six prison.
ers were taken, it was declared,
while booty included % guns and
$50 tanks and armored cars. The
Japanese admitted 357 casualties
of their OWN
In Northern Burma 1t. Gen. 10.
seph w. Stilwell's campaign in tht
Fort Hertz Valley on the Sumpra.
bum-Myitkyina route progressed t.
the south bank of the Daru River
approximately so miles north o1
Myitkyina, a main japanese base.
The combined force of all-Ameri.
can Marauders of Brig. Gen. Frank
Merrill and Chinese holding a road.
block at Laban in the Mogaung Val.
ley, Al airline miles from the Myit.
kyina railway, killed more than 30(
japanese attacking both to the NORTH
and south from their pocket below
Shaduzup.