Detroit evening times., 1945-06-19
nd the Pacific War VIGOROUSLY Make the Peace PERMANENTLY Bring Our Boys Home M0
PAUL
MALLON
Behind
The News

The News
WASHINGTON, June 1S-
w The Chinese accounts have
been daily describing how they
are lighting their way for
ward"
This is a nice way of putting
il. A more accurate way would
relate that the Japs are giving
up central and southern China.
This strategic Jap retreat is
tremendously important TO us.
1t means they are drawing back
their vast numbers for a final
stand of the war against our
maSsing power.
My information is they will
retire all the way back TO the
Yangtze River and Shanghai,
there TO establish an emperor's
line, or whatever they choose
TO call il. South of the line
they will hold only the China
ports with suicide squads Gas
Hitler did in France
Unquestionably they will try
TO hold Hongkong, Swatow and
Annoy and possibly other points
just TO prevent us from using
these needed bases for Asiatic
operations.
THIS is what Gen. Stilwell
knew when he started talk
ing in print the other day about
the war lasting two years. He
does not apparently expect
bombing -will-bring surrender
earlier, or anticipate that busi-
ness leaders will take over the
Tokyo government and seek
peace.
In case the Japs fight TO the
last, we will have to go in and
clean them out in China as well
as upon the mainland - and
there are many who suspect
their fight for Manchuria will
be bigger than in behalf of
their mainland
Estimates of their troops in
North China Including those
retreating northward) run as
high as 100000 men compared
with 100000 on the mainland,
although these estimates are
not 10 be depended upon
The retreat strategy was nec-
eSSary because of their weak
extended position. but it will be
a costly business for them. They
will lose (abandon is more
precise word for it, the railroad
from Hankow down 10 Hong
kong, and therefore all land
connection with their 100000
troops now remaining in Malaga
toverestimated generally in pub
lie comments to be 345, 5,000O
They cannot very we'll supply
these by sea under our air and
submdf pine blockade. Hence, the
strategy puts their whole South
Asia force in a position for
suicide, of an aggressive or vol
untary nature.
RUT if you have been looking
~ at their narrow escape cor
ridors in China. and suspecting
the Chinese could cut off large
bodies of their troops by driving
wedges across the Hongkong-
Hankow railroad, you must
abandon any such hope.
True enough the Chinese are
attacking in some spots, but
even in those spots the JapS are
managing to keep control OF the
situation by counterattacks, and
in general the Chinese are not
strong enough 20 do anything
important.
All the JapS would have TO do
TO stop any Chinese ambitions
is to move troops down the rail-
roads from Hankow. where they
have plenty of unused reserve
power. They can control any
area they really want. Chinese
aggressiveness, therefore. must
be cautiously limited.
The Chinese have drawn some
of their troops back from the
Burma front for this operation.
Our Fourteenth Air Force is
getting more planes now, and
moving back into their lost
bases. However, nothing much
can be done until we get power
in there. and this will take
many months, especially with
the ports still in Jap hands.
THE Australian move into
Il Borneo has centered atten-
tion on Malaga. and caused
many TO suggest we may hop in
there next. This common inter
probation represents too-easy
anticipation.
We went into Borneo for oil
and bases only those two
things. The wells are in bad
condition. but can be repaired
in time 10 be Of great benefit
10 US in the final drives of the
Pacific war. The air fields i'm
Borneo. give us good bombing
RANGE radiuS oVer pyarythinp in