The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-08-05
interpreting
The War .
BY JAMES d. WHITE
Associated Press Staff W.

~ mug. f-fp
Japan now can be though W
two main empires-not one -" Of
The announcement that mi,.,
ing Superforts have estabTss e.I 3ay'
complete blockade of all ,n
ant japanese and Korean import
means the home islands bare ports
isolated and the weakest ljnk e - Oesa
empire - the Sea of japan ~ ne
been severed. Aa'
Korea is the gateway to 1.,.
great remaining tower of strs so.
and resources-Manchuris "eisa
The home islands themss,.
now are under constant attart 'tS'
the sea and air, with dsilr ,'Vh
minders of heavier attars, re-
come. But the vast WARM. 10
complex represented by the ina''
tries. mines and food-producto.u '
Korea, Manchuria and North ', ", v
ma. remains relatively untoucnsi
This is Japan's other empire
But the day is not far M NJ.
the Superfozts can 60 to wor %4,a
Earnest on this continen.sl b.a III
which the Japanese-an smbits'
people-have been building thrm.s
the years to further their drs,n
of conquest.
1t. Gen. James H. Doolittls -.
announced his 9Th Air Force so ,~
will be flying Superforts from Nv
naWa bases, and that will eytsr.
the concentrated destructive pow,.
of these giant bombers to well !.
You'd Mukden, heart of the Man.
churian industrial region.
Japan has depended upon NAN.
tinental resources for such es,s,
tials as coking coal and snnls
mentary food, and the mine.I.v
ing Superforts have contributed IA
the general deterioration Of III,
japanese homeland war poter,
tial by cutting this off
With the ports blockaded M
ships can move freely along tbs
familiar Japan Sea lanes-betwesr
the great Shimonoseki gateway IN
Western Honshu and such vital con.
tinental ports as Darien in Man.
churia and the main ferry term.
nus at Fusan in Korea.
Also choked are the lesser lars
between upper Honshu ports like
Niigate and the Korean miniDt
ports of Genzan and Seishin.
Even the most northerly port
Rashin-Within 81 miles of the S,
berian border-has been mined
Rashin's history is typical Of III.
method behind Japan's planning Il
was built up from lonely fish,
ing village to a modern, well,equp
ped port during the last decade
The South Manchurian Railyq
company then laboriously built
special railway line in from Hs
west, across the rugged Korea
mountains, to ling it with the NORTH
ern part of the Manchurian rail-
way system-by all odds the mos
extensive and modern in Asia, es
cept in Siberia.
The stated purpose was TO carry
Manchuria's soy bean and whest
crop over a more direct route h |
Japan. But Rashin was miltan
secret for a number of years, an!
it is likely that the japanese fore
saw attacks on transverse lines
farther south and wanted anothG
and possibly safer route for wa
supplies and raw materials.
One of the first non-Japanese b
travel over this long-secret lln
was an American named JOSEPH
W. Stilwell, then a military attain
in China. Now commander Of tt!
U. S. Tenth Army on Okinawa r /
more than once suggested that tn
japanese may well fight on
Manchuria after they have beena4
feated at home.
The long-range bomber now 1a
cancelled out this bit of Japanea
planning. Rashin, without lis ST.
lanes, is like the end of br0Aa
electric wire. Its function is d.
stroyed and nothing goes throap
it.
Superforts have not worked alor
in their blockading job. Ma"
search planes used on Okna%
also have been over the Sea
Japan, and one reported 0om0ni
an important railway bridge
Northern Korea the other day.
Korean industries recently nav
been bombed and strafed' 6'
Manchuria plants have suffered ~
thing to speak Of since Amos
year ago when BIOS were hl'IA'
them from Chinese bases.
They have had time to recoN.
but this other empire OF Jap
soon must face the same deSuI
ton which has reduced the num-
land to stubborn, defiant oeaa
watch for invading ground U0'