The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-03-27

public.
Last summer, It was announced
from Quebec that the Allies had
planned q big offensive In Burma.
It was also announced that Lord
Louis Mountbatten, cousin Of King
George, was being placed in COM
mand Of the drive, which was to
open up the Burma road to the
Allies and provide o new means
Of attacking Japan through
China.
Despite these optimistic an
nouncelnents, real fact today Is
that the Japanese, not the Allies.
have taken the offensive. As this
Is written, the JapS are within
six miles Of the Indian border.
The Allies are on the defensive.
and this Is eight months after the
Burma promises or last summer.
All OF which illustrates the
danger Of initiating the hopes Of
the American public, then let.
ting them drop with . thud.
The real truth could not be
written last summer, but now
the inside story as told to SeIla-
tors, can be told without any dam
ger to military operations.
A. the Quebec conference last
July, U. 8. military chiefs in
formed the British that, u there
was 10 be no immediate second
front In Europe, then the United
States must urge that we pro.
coed with . drive In Burma.
Whereupon Il was agreed that
Admiral Lord Louis M0unthat-
ten should command In Burma,
but that this should be q mill.
tary secret.
Accordingly, General Marshall
phoned the Chinese military at
tache In Washington TO come to
Quebec. And according TO inSor-
nation that has been relayed to
senators, General Marshall In
formed the Chinese military at
tache about the new Burma COM
mander but cautioned him that
1t was most secret and that he
must not radio Chang Kai-shek
for fear the message might be de-
coded by the Japanese. Instead,
he must send o messenger by
special airplane to Chunkking, to
inform the Generalissimo person.
ally that Lord Mountbatten was
to command the Burma front.
BRITISH-AMERI-
CAN DIFFERENCES
Having taken these secrecy pre-
cautions, General Marshall natur-
ally was highly surprised when he
read in the newspapers q few
days later that the British had
announced to the press that Lord
Mountbatten was to command In
Burma. Subsequently, there was
a frank showdown between Gen
eral Marshall and General Sir
Alan Brooke, British Chief of
staff, regarding statements to the
press.
Showdown Of this kind are
only natural when men with
strong minds are in command Of
Allied operation. They should
not be interpreted as meaning
disunity among the Allies. The
incident Is mentioned here only
to illustrate the difference which
have eqisted over Burma, These
differences are now reported to
have led TO the present Allied
statemate and the Jap offensive.
Most important conclusion
drawn from the above situation Is
that U. 8. Army Navy forces are
now determined to plug ahead on
their own In the Central and
North Pacific. The recent attacks
on the Kurile Islands north OF
Japan are most significant. In
the opinion Of this columnist. they
will be followed up by more drives
In the North Pacific--the straight
direct route to Japan.
In other words, the u. 8. A.
Is not necessarily going TO walt
for victory In Europe, but Is go
Ing ahead ON It's own 10 close In
ON Japan - Wtth or Wlth0us
Allied assistance.
NOTE: One trouble with the
Burma front Is that General Still
well favors Q ground operation,
General Chennault favors an air
operation, and Admiral Lord
Mountbatten favors q naval oper-
alton.
DUTCH QUININE MONOPOLY
Congratulations to Leo Grow.
ley's Foreign Economic Admins
tration on buying as much quinine
IN Latin America In the past cou-
pie Of weeks Is during the. previ-
ots V months. This y stgnift-