The Wilmington morning star., 1944-01-30
interpreting
The War
BY KIRKE L. Simpson,

Whatever the underlying 49,
pose OF the Washington and Y wi
don governments in disclosi. l0N'
this time deta.s long witbho,s at
revolving Japanese brutar4. o.
unknown numbers Of the ha %
of Bataan' Hong Kong and sin 's'
pore, publication is certain - 3D.
ate public pressure on both VI :, E.
of the Atlantic for quickened 1'.s'
ton against Japan. '''
Reaction in Congress and \
lament came immediately IN r. RAJ
out that expectation. W 0sar
The officially authenticated ..
of almost unbelievable Jsn, 'ae'
sadistic torture of surrap pJiIvSe
troops went farther than conlS 1t
spoken pledge to assure tha a 'lg
the might of Britain as wal al
the United States and China ID. ss
be focused on the defeat of h., VIM
as well as Germany, ''0
Yet publication of those bo,.,
ing accounts was bound 10 Amy,
urgent demands in both collntr a
for quicker action to brine 1sns' '
to book for her war crimes ta!
it came at a moment when tbor.
were authoritative indications ~,
impending new American Austr "
liam action by land, sea and AZ,
to rip open a broad sea road laod
ing toward Japan.
On the day that Washington 70.
vealed details of tn e sickenr,
japanese treatment of capturpS
troops in the Philippines and in
lost British baotions of the China
Sea, there were strong hints that
the double thrust from south and
east to clear a Observation-Disclosures
pathway through japanese central
and south Pacific islands OUTPOST,
is gaining momentum.
Sustained Army Navy air BAT.
tering at key Marshall island
atolls and at enemy air strips in
the Admiralty islands clearly pons
toward coming action to seize and
consolidate these Pacific footholis
Each group represents foothoH
closer to key japanese bastions Of
defense-and Japan itself,
The attrition score in aircraft
and shipping tonnage still runs
heavily against the foe as these
air and sea preliminaries for new
ground battles of consoidatimm
being fought. Capture of bohh,
separated island groups would
open the door to passage in force
through the New Guinea-Truk zap
to the southern Philippines and ST.
lu Archipelago approaches to the
China Sea.
The Bismarck archipelago
bounded by New Guinea's north
coast, New Britain on the east and
the Admiralties to the north, was
once a forbidden sea to American
warshipy. They are ranging it at
will now through Dampier Strait
to shell enemy bases on the New
Guinea COAT and threaten Japa'
nese garrisons there with isolation
from Truk.
Seizure of Admiralty air strips
or bases for sea operations would
virtually split off all NipponeSe out
posts south of Truk. A simulta79'
Gus American advance into the
Marshalls, foreshadowed by the
persistent air attack on every enc
my installation in the group, would
lay Truk open to air and sea slese
Nor can japanese commandeH
doubt that behind that converglns
attack lie plans to bring into &C.
ton against Japan itself new,
heavy bomberss of a range and
hitting-power unmatched. Alread7
there are reports of evacuation Oh
Tokyo and of Japan's man M
dustrial war centers in eXpectalln
Of Just that.
The day when huge craft ?%
sweep westward, unload thG a.
vastating bomb cargoes ovei "
pan and 60 on to China to re'@
for a return trip assault may
near.