Show 1 y V V V i V a. a 4 t Behind War w News IS By Captain John H. H Craig INS War Analyst As the axis famed Afrika korps breathes Its last on the hills and sands of Tunisia where Romes Rome's Scipio beat Hannibal and brought the glory that was Carthage tumbling in ruins more than 2000 years ago President Roosevelt and Premier Churchill meet in Washington in a conference that may well result in switching the spotlight of war to a theater halfway around the world from the scene I of north Africa's spectacular triumph Present at the conference to which Mr Churchill dropped in inon inon inon on Tuesday afternoon are Field Marshal Archibald Wavell united united united unit unit- ed nations commander in chief In India and Burma Admiral Sir James Somerville naval chief In Indian waters and many other British far eastern notables Taken in conjunction with the fact that Lieutenant General Joseph W W. Stilwell commander command command- er of United States forces in ins India-Burma India and Major General General General Gen Gen- eral Claire Chennault head of Americas America's air forces in China are already in Washington the arrival of these British war chiefs seems to point inescapably inescapably inescapably ably t to tb British British American American plans In the making for action with Japan as its target I This would mean a drastic re recasting recasting recasting re- re casting of present united nations nations nations' nations nations' na na- conceptions and plans for forthe forthe forthe the war but it seems entirely logical and likely in view of re recent recent recent re- re cent momentous but little noted developments in the far east In that important theater the Japanese army navy and air force still retain the capacity for taking the offensive at any time they are willing to risk the forces necessary to make a supreme supreme supreme su su- su- su preme effort In the Solomons Americas America's valiant marines sailors and sol diers won a thrilling battle for foran foran foran an Important outpost In New Guinea General Douglas MacArthur's MacArthurs MacArthurs MacArthur's MacArthurs MacArthur's Mac- Mac Arthurs Arthur's Australian American-Australian troops and fliers have fought their way forward with heroic perseverance But those victories victories victories vic vic- tories after all were won thousands thousands thousands thou thou- sands of miles from any point strategically vital to Japan and were in essence defensive vic Vic- tories By virtue of the Solomons and New Guinea triumphs Japanese advances toward Australia were stopped But the empire of the mikado still stil still possesses huge forces available for action Unless Unless Unless Un Un- less these are pinned down by vigorous attack aimed at Japans Japan's Japans Japan's Japans Japan's Ja Ja- Ja- Ja pans pan's vitals they will sooner or later be launched at a point in inthe inthe inthe the united nations' nations defenses where Irreparable damage may maybe maybe maybe be done Strategic tender points In the allied scheme of war In the Indian Indian In In- dian Pacific ocean-Pacific theater are India and nd Australia Of late dispatches indicate growing Japanese military might In iq i la l from which blows j might be launched J II Unquestionably the allied hIg high command is fully informed con coid such concentration and may well be planning t yi toy take the play away from frOIn the th Nipponese by hitting first 4 Con tributary evidence alse also alJ pointing toward the probability of more vigorous united nations action against Japan Is the sit in China Generalissimo Chiang Ka Kai shek's shek s Chinese ese republic re re- public Is a vital key to victorin victory victor in the united nations' nations War war J against Japan But since the cutting of the Burma China has been cu cut off from sup suni plies and munitions Dispatches of late indicate that she Is get ting dangerously near tion a j 1 There In a nutshell are the tha problems of victory that face Britain and America In the hi faS eastern astern theater of war Japan big army and navy must t h bi pinned down so that they caner cannot organize a thrust at India ci c ct Australia at their leisure A road to China must be opened up Along with these measure measures means must be found for Intensive sive bombing of the main Japa nese industrial areas 1 a These things mu must t be done If It united nations nations' forces of the In dian Pacific ic theater are to take tak the offensive and Japan is to ba be beaten Whether or not they can wait until after Germany l la is conquered on the European front is a matter that only the united n nations nations' supreme com coin mand can an decide But it is evl evi dent even to the least informed that there can be no global vIctory vie vIc tory In this war if the battle of the Pacific is lost 1 Statements and opinions herein here in are private to the writer and andare andare and andare are not to be construed as re re re- fleeting the views of the navy navy department 1 |