The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-07-08
Interpreting
The.War
BY KIRKE L. SIMPSON

Events beyond the Pacific leav.
no doubt that the air and ~.
blockade of the japanese hons;s'
lands has been completed y ~
American forces in prepsr.sE
for the next major move sosis
the foe. And it has been acca~
plished even before redeploymsn,
from Europe to the Asiatic w.s
theater is more than well staraa,
The past week brought definit.
evidence also that by-passed ON.
my garrisons on Pacific island.
from historic Wake to the So,.
mons and New Guinea are dvin.
on the vine; and that the pow.r
full jaws of an Allied east.westsn
Inhalation wise have been set !,
place in Burma and Borneo tb..
spells doom for trapped Nipponss'
invaders in Indo China, Mslay,
and the Dutch Indies when III
southern squeeze is driven boms
Highlights Developments
General Macarthur formal a,
nouncement that the Campaign +,
redeem the whole Philippine ~,
chipelago had been completed IN
$50 days highlighted the week,
developments. In that time
greatly superior japanese ground
force had been totally DESTROYED
except for remnants impotent IN
impede the attack on Japan itself
That was promptly capped, how.
ever, by disclosure that medium
bombers of the 5th Air Force had
shifted their operating base from
Luzon to OkinaWa and immediate.
ly Joined in the ever increasing
air assault on Japan.
Linked with MacArthur's assign.
ment of General Stilwell to com.
mand the 10th Army with head.
quarters on Okinawa, the shift O,
one powerful wing of his air pow.
er to the same forward base i,
significant. It's mission is primar.
iy strategic at the moment but
when the hour for invasion of ia.
pan comes, the 5th Air Force
teamed up with Navy carrier
planes will be in a position to give
ground troops close tactical sup.
port.
Pending that, roundabout com.
munications via Korea between
Japan and all but isolated enemy
armies in China have come under
American air attack. Rail bridges
and tunnels on the Korean.Man,
churia line were targets of the
strike. 1t illustrated the fact that
air enlightenment of Japan has now
extended to every northern avenue
Of approach to the Asiatic main
land as well as to western sea
lanes across the Yellow sea.
Perhaps the most startling cpl
sode of the week in the Pacific,
however, was the appearance Ola
japanese hospital ship off Wake
On interception by an America
destroyer it proved bound for tia;
island to take off sick and wount
ed members of its garrison. Re.
examined on its return trip, it was
found loaded with close to 1000
enemy army and navy personal
in such condition from illness Of
hunger that japanese doctors said
many could not live to reach "a
pan. The ship was waved on it,
dismal way by the American de-
stroyer commander.
There is no known precedent for
that incident in the Pacific WAL
The action of the American con-
mander in permitting the ship tc
visit Wake and return to japan
| Qll1llO1SSlS0 Will llS oOlC4dl IL e4b'
could have been foreseen; but TIKI
fact that it was sent out at al
on such mission by the foe !
a reversal of japanese practice
No previous attempt to succor TIT
sick and wounded on by-pasSe,
islands has ever been reported
They were left to die with thei
still able comrades in every case
Just why the exception wa
made in the case Of Wake 1t
difficult to see. There was vlrtua-
ly no chance that the ship cou'
escape detection by American SCI
and air patrols and no indlcatlol
that it attempted to do so, 1s
;by that unprecedented mercy ge'
ture to which the American com
mand replied in kind, the ph8A
of the remaining enemy garfls0
on Wake was fully disclosed lH
island is ripe for recapture at al
time. The visit of the enemy no'
pital ship was a virtual Invita-"
To cnroo ap6 foIa II