The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-04-21
interpreting
The War y
BY KIRKE L. SIMPSON
Associated Press War An,,


Matching the deepening sn.
can-Australian challenge ia I0.
nese sea and air power in III. PA
Paficic. the first significant Ars ar
blow by the Southeastern 'A 4,
Command has been struck ,o aga
the Bay of Bengal, falling o rI' o
bang, the island off the northn' ID
tip of Sumatra. invest
Delivered by carrier h,
planes of the now power+,I IS'eo
arm of Admiral Lord Louis Mo,' ssa
batten's forces, it was preceded III,
an air raid by American u. ny
range bombers on Port Pl.;. .0iiS
the southern Andanman island N
the coast of the Malay Pennin,,VHllI
to the north, probably intended J0 "a
neutalize any possible Jansn,.U
air interference
Both strokes apparently ssu,,.
the enemy by surprise. Thev d. s+'
initely served to put Tokio
notice, however, that it is contro WI
ted with developing two-tront .s s.''
air warfare at the southern ens .,
the Nipponese China sea connuo y.
zone tending to force a division =,
dwindling japanese sea and 81.
power to guard both east and we,t
approaches to that sea.
The Sabang attack complete, II,
ultimate challenge of the AuiAS
sea power to Japan long ago FORE
told by Prime Minister Churcbiu
and helps make clearer develon
ments in Burma and in Easter,
China indicating japanese counter
strategy. Nor can it be seriusIv
doubted that Allied Leadership !,
more concerned over recent enpmy
moves in eastern China than with
the diversionary Nipponese jnva.
sion of India from northern Burn,
that seems virtually to have run
it's course.
A three pronged japanese drive
in the ChungmoW-Chen r.
gion in eastern Honan, aimed at
clearing the Peiping-Hankow rail.
road, is reported from Chungking
It implies a new japanese attemO
to sieze complete control of III,
great north-south communicating
artery across eastern China from
Canton to ChengchoW. Chinese for.
ces hold two wide stretches Of The
parallel rail and road system, one
above and one below Hankow, from
which the japanese have never
been able to dislodge them.
The obvious Japanese purpose !,
to bar all China east Of the Canton.
Hankow-C hengchow line to Allied
use for advance air bases from
which to strike at Formosa, at
vital japanese traffic in the south
China sea, at the Philippines and
at Japan's own industrial centers
at relatively close range. The Jap.
anese hold only segments Of east.
ern China now and the Allied cam.
paign in northern Burma to open
the Ledo road from India to China
as supply route for American
China-based bombers is evidently
giving Toxic concern,
The dubious japanese invasion
thrust across the Chindwin river
in Burma into India has had the
appearance of a diversion and de-
laying movement from its incep
ton. 1t represents in sufficient
power for more than that and has
not halted General Stilwells ad'
vance in the five weeks it has
been in progress. It also lacks sup
ply lines to make it a grave threat
of itself.
The stab into Assam might have
held up Stilwell, however. Toxic
appears to have gambled on that
and lost. AS the fight is now de-
veloping on the Imphal plain, il
seems destined to result in stale
mate or a Nipponese disaster,
The Japanese offensive in east
ern China clearly spells out grow
ing fear in Toxic that the day may
not be distant when Japan will be
brought under the same Allied two
way mass bombing from the Pa
cific and eastern China that Ger
many is enduring from Britain and
| italy.