Evening star., 1944-10-04
Chino Seen BIominq
Allies for Disaster
Both Churchill and Roosevelt
Linked to Events, Says Writer

Both Churchill and Roosevelt
Linked to Events, Says Writer
By David Laurence.
Responsibility for the Allied debacle In
China some day viii be clearly fixed,
but apparently the Chinese govern.
ment is not going to conceal any longer
its belief that Prime Minister Churchill
and President Roosevelt both had part
in the unfortunate chain of events that
led to the present disaster.
Chungking dispatches quote an in
1uential newspaper there as saying that
Prime Minister Churchills praise of
British and Indian troops fighting on
the border of India was justified, but
that the success Of these troops was at
tanned with the help Of Chinese troops
who were transferred "in difference to
the wishes Of Britain" from the HUI
nan-Kwangsi railroad in Central China,
which subsequently fell to Japan.
In that brief statement lies the crux
Of one of the tragic mistakes Of this
war. Why did the British government
urge that troops be withdrawn from
the defense of the Hunan-Kwanasi
railroad? And why was the plan for
an offensive in Central China by Gen.
Chang Kai-shek frustrated and by
whom? These are pertinent questions
which have been talked about here IL,
Washington for some time but have
never been answered.
President Roosevelt is defending
American aid to China, rightly de-
scribing 1t as epochal in the face of ex-
treme hardships and virtually insur-
mountable difficulties. But it is more
important to know why, when substan-
tial aid was promised to China last year
at the Cairo conference, such promise
was later withdrawn. Under the cloak
OF censorship much of this information
was hidden at the time, but the Chung
king dispatches tell us publicly now that
1t was 'in difference to the wishes of
Great Britain" that large bodies of
Chinese troops were transferred which
should have been used in Central China.
Background on Failure.
Further background on the failure OF
the Roosevelt-churchill policy in China
is given this week in the Woodford
Sun, owned and published in Versatile.
KY, by Senator Chandler. In an edi-
torial of comment on the Far Eastern
situation occurs the following:
In the spring of last year, Senator
Chandler urged that the British make
an offensive In the India Burma China
sector. He then declared that it was
obvious that they were in a better DO
sition to make it than we were. He
added. however, that If the British did
not make the offensive, we would have
to make 1t in our own defense
British help was not forthcoming.
however, when it was desperately needed
Opinions on the failure of the British
in this matter differ, but Senator Chan
dler probably voiced the belief of many
persons when he declared that the
British are not enthusiastic about Chins
being strong The Senator said he
reached this conclusion after converse
ton with Prime Minister Churchill
adding, Mr.. Churchill did not know G.
any reason why China should have :
place at the peace table as an equal
partner with Russia. Great Britain anti
the United States. I am convinced that
this is the real reason why the British
have been slow and apparently unen-
thusiastic about starting an offensive ir
the india Burma China field Of opera
tions.' sss
But all the explanations do not re-
move the grim fact that the British.
reportedly now overly anxious to assume
q more important role in the war against
Japan, did not assume such a role whe7
they could have helped immeasurabl
In the struggle in the Far East.
There Is. of course, the question,
whether our aid to China could hay,
been greater. 1t does not seem, how
ever, that we could have done moro
indeed, it seems that our aid to the
Cninese, ably supported by an all-ou,
British offensive, would have STAYED of
the now dire threat of Chinas forced
withdrawal from the war. Opportune
help from the British undoubtedly
would have produced different picture
In China. The recent Japanese offen-
sives there probably would have beer
averted. and the war with the Japanes.
certainly would have been short
ened, 80
Major Blunder.
For many months, and until the fiyc
United States Senators got back fror
their tour Of the world battle fronts o,y
land and sea forces fighting the jana
nese got along as best they could with
meager manpower and very limited sup
plies. That was the way it was planned
ana that Is the major blunder' that was
made in planning the war with Japan.
Different planning probably would have
produced a different picture insofar as
the war against Japan is concerned. The
aH-too-apparent desire of the British
to whip the Germans first and then take
care OF the japanese predominated in
the initial planning. The bitter fruits
OF that predomination are now being
tasted. And we shall continus to taste
those fruits for long time to come.
I'VE must make up our minds that
thousands OF lives will yet be sacrificed
to achieve victory over Japan--that
many more of our brave sons will die
before the Stars and Stripes are hoisted
in Tokyo.
"An of this could have been ayerted
oy Great Britain pursuing an aggressive
role In Southeast Asia from India. Such
role on the part of the British un-
doubtedly would have supplied Aid IN