The Wilmington morning star., 1944-05-07
interpreting
The War
BY KIRKE L. SIMPSON
Associated Press W.

E T., 49, i1ltleflzed Wester,
Europe from Norway IN =.
Franco-Spanish border thi, W IN, na
end stirred Nazi conject1rs" veg .ss
mld-May will see the crisis rs ass'
ed at last and the battle ioios i'm
The tides in the north e.. ~,
the English channel wop1d ,a ana
best suited about then tn Tho -r ."'
Allied adventure that could sea- s,
the war in Europe this year, o+Sa INV
factors such as weather porta1..
which could govern the actual a,
Lied jump-off from Britain arc ~.
down in the books for all to rsaS
Half way around the earth 1oN
ever, under the shadow Of IN.
towering Himalayas in northaa,.
ern India and northern Burn,
there is no doubt as to the signI,
ficance of the mid-May season a,
longer any question as to what u,
wet, windy approach must mean :.
aid the Allied cause against Il,
pan. The southwest Monsooy -,
be timed like a railroad train orr.
its first gusts sweep across n.
bay of Bengal, eventually TO cra,h
against the Himalayas and Ia,
loose deluges.
Fate Sealed
This is due to happen by Nav
Is. With the Monsoon onset trn,
trated Japanese invaders of Ind,
will be cut off from their upne,
Burma bases and escape route,
by flooded rivers and valley ouac.
mires. Their fate seems seaIss
even now.
Allied armies on the Impha,
plain in India are reported on ths
attack eastward. The great rain,
will no doubt impede their pursni,
Of the foe into Burma through sod.
den jungle tracks. But ouch Of the
estimated three-division army as
makes its escape to the Irrawadv
can be in no shape to cope with
Allied forces pioneering the Ledo
supply route to its junction with
the old Burma road to China.
Japanese leadership gambIed
heavily on that invasion" thrust
across the upper Chindwin river
into India; and it has lost. Plant.
ed before the wet monsoon struck
astride the long and difficul.
supply routes in India beyond
the Inphal plain upon which
StilwelPs forces depend, it nigh:
have held up for months the pro.
missed increased flow of Allied mu.
nitions and battle equipment in.
GLIDING expanded air power for
China.
The race with the Monsoon has
been lost and with it the bulk Of
the Japanese army in northern
Burma as an effective fight,
ing force. It no longer looms as
a major factor that could prevent
short-line linking up of India
and China by air and ground alike
That is a deadly menace to Japa-
aese armies in China, even to the
industrial heart of Japan itself
once bomber bases and the supp,
les to operate them intengvely
are available in central or eastern
China.
That seems to be the fear haunt
ing Tokio's war lords. 1t accounts
for the reckless and futile indian
''invasion'' attempt from Burma
and also for the power attack in
China featured as yet by the effort
to link up a north-south line from
Peiping to Hankow and perhaps to
Canton. Nipponese success could
increase the distance to be travel
ed by bombers and thus reduce
the weight Of inevitable Allied all
attack from China.
To accomplish that the back-tr-
ed and soon to be Monsoon washed
out campaign westward In north
ern Burma was ordered 1t was a
reckless and losing gamble at least
in Allied judgment. It's failure has
definitely improved StilwellS
prospects Of completing the Ledo
connections with China months
ahead of schedule.
Secretary Stimson at Washington
implied that during the week
had the Japanese army IN
upper Burma been concentrated
northward against Stilwell's forces,
he said, instead Of on the collapsed
invasion of India, Stilwel's prob
lens would have been materially
increased. With Allies and Japa'
nese alike engaged in supply cut.
ing forays, he added, 'the pay'o51
to the victor should be large,
Nor was there any doubt IN hi'
mind who the victor would BE-
Stillwell's operations have never
paused. He is close to this primary
immediate objective, Myitkyina'
and there is no longer any for1ald'
able Japanese reserve force IN
northwestern Burma where 'hs
Monsoon rains are light by com
parison and not apt to stan Old
continued advance.