Detroit evening times., 1945-02-01
'ORLD
IN REVIEW
BY Mai. Gen.
D. P. Barrows

~ INK iloiu Oh TIT lSidildo W
Luzon and the great sweep OF
Admiral HalSey's fleet across
the China Sea pressage the
early loss TO Japan OF her mari
time connections with the rich
prizes Of the Netherlands Indies
empire and British Malaga.
The loss of this island en-
pire compels the japanese 10
consolidate their power on the
continent of Asia and this
means the completion of their
conquest of China, French Indo-
China and Thailand, or Siam.
Since the reorganiZation-et
their government more than 10
years ago the Japanese have
based their policy on their army
and navy
A people of strong militant
spirit, they put their trust IN
"reeking tube and iron Shard .
BY provision of their imperial
constitution, the administration
of their armies and fleet was
independent of civil and parlia-
mentary control.
They were even believed 10
be personally conducted by two
great Clans" which survived
the feudal period,
Military statesmen, derived
from these aristocratic bodies,
worked out the forward-moving
policy and the steady aggran-
dizemcnt of Japan in the acqui-
sition of foreign territories.
II is also believed a certain
rivalry existed between these
two military groups which ad-
vocate different policies.
The army was for aggran-
dizement on the continent for
a truly East Asian domination.
The navy aspirations were TO
the southwark over the rich
island world of the East Indies.
TN THE victorious sweep that
L followed Pearl Harbor, the
Japanese navy had its triumph.
That triumph has now come
to an end
he victories of the American
fleet and army threaten to cut
Japan from their sensational ac-
Uuisitions to the southward.
BY comparison, the progress
of the Japanese armies has
been more successful They
have conquered a large part of
China
They appear to he holding Sc
cureiy the five different terri
toriaf possessions which were
united under the French gov
ernor generalcy" of Indo-China.
The once independent state Of
Thailand has become their pup
pet state.
Japanese hold on Burma has
been shaken. British Indian
armies are approaching the CEN
trail city of Mandalay and have
established themselves on the
Arakan coast around Akyab.
But it is believed the enemy
will fight hard to retain south
ern Burma and the great port OF
Rangoon.
They have connected this city
by a railroad into Siam that
makes the supply of their Bur-
mese army independent of sea
communication through the
Strait of Malacca and the Gulf
of Bengal.
They are struggling to reha-
bilitate and construct railroad
line from Korea through China
that will reach far down through
the Malay Peninsula 10 Singa-
pore.
IN THE ALLEGATION of theaters
Il of operation in the Far East,
it appears the British, with CO.
operation of the Dutch, have
taken over the defeat of the
Japanese in 1ndonesia,
Lord Mountbatten's strength
has been increased by the addl-
tion of two British fleets, one of
which will act independently out
of the Bay of Bengal, and the
other will cooperate with the
Australians and Americans and
operate under the orders of our
Adm. NimitZ.
These combined Allied opera
tions promise to succeed.
American power is cutting the
Japanese from the island world
of southeastern Asia.
Other Allied fleets and armies
may then destroy the isolated
garrisons and regain Singapore.
But even though Macarthur
completes the liberation of the
Philippines, the Japanese army
will still be powerful on the con-
tinent of Asia.
1t will have a strength of sew
eral million men. This army, in
large part, may be supplied by
the resources of the continent
and by the armament plants
which the Japanese have estab-
lished in Manchuria.
1t is this continental situation
which leads many students of
our Far Eastern war TO believe
the defeat of Japan will be diff
ficult and prolonged, The Allies
are faced with the possible task
of transporting two million
fighting men from the European
theater and from America, 10
complete the defeat of japanese
armies in Asia.
There is one possible alterna-
tive 10 this stupendous military
undertaking. 1t is the Chinese
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