Show C f- f f r r t f 1 i. i fIto J- J 7 f lf r rit it er Behind the War N News p r Major Eliot ii t Says as By Major George Fielding Eliot The Japanese offensive in east central China appears to be bean bean bean an operation in considerable strength and it is gaining ground It has been launched from an anarea anarea anarea area where the Japanese a awell are re rewell well established the established the triangle Shanghai just south of the lower course of the Yangtze river Its general general general gen gen- eral direction of advance is southwestward along the line Its ab is probably to recover possession of the general area between and and reestablish Japanese control Inthe in inthe inthe the province of ot The reason the Japanese are interested in doing this is because because because be be- cause it is at this point that It would be most feasible to es establish establish establish es- es united nations air bases for a bombing offensive against Japan should the Burma road be reopened or should the capacity capacity capacity ca ca- ca- ca of the present air transport transport trans trans- transport port system from India to China be so increased as to permit permit permit per per- mit the servicing of strong forces of long range aircraft in China is the one good location location location loca loca- tion available for such bombing bases It is nearer to Japans Japan's vital centers than any other re region region region re- re gion of China south of the Yangtze river No such bases could be be- established be-established on Chinese territory north of the Yangtze because the Japanese hold Han Han- kow and through which pass all the practicable routes of communication from south China to north China Indeed the reason that no such bases are now in operation is just because of communications difficulties But once the Burma road is open and presuming that its reopening is paralleled by the development of the air transport system which could operate much more I efficiently from Burmese fields than from those it is now using in eastern India In Inv dia a steady flow of bombs fuel lubricants and other supplies sup sup- plies might begin to arrive at Chinese railheads such as as and F From om these points into there is unbroken rail connection save for the Japanese Japanese held held city of which cuts the railway rail rail- way between and and points in province about midway This place could be bypassed by a short road road detour or it could be recovered by concentrated attack when when the time came to do so It would seem that what the Japanese are now doing in China is an attempt to forestall tie the coming campaign In southeast Asia by depriving the allies of ot one of the most useful fruits of ot that venture If the Japanese can recover control of they can prevent the bombing of ot Japan for the time being at any rate and they can consolidate their position in this area by ending the strategic isolation of their control point at In so 80 doing doing- they are using the one element of lighting fighting strength of which they still possess pos pos- sess seas a surplus land forces The Chinese cannot hope to oppose them with anything like equal numbers of thoroughly equipped divisions though as far as manpower man manpower manpower power goes the Chinese have a superiority The allies of China cannot yet send their troops to toy to j reinforce China But what can caa be done at least to some extent is to give the Chinese air reinforcements reinforcements rein rein- by building up as rapidly as possible the Fourteenth Four Four- army air force under General Chennault This is th thone the theone theone one type of help which will be be most useful to the Chinese in proportion to the capacity of of f the transport lines available to j send it to them If the Japanese are compelled to put heavy air elements into r the fighting in they 1 t must do so by robbing other 1 fronts since they do not have c 1 I enough air power to go around Even overwhelming superiority t tin in numbers has not helped the l J Japanese very much of late in inthe the air however and it maywell may maywell well turn out that they will be unable to succeed in their new new Chinese offensive because they cannot give th their ir troops adequate adequate ade ade- quate air support or that having having having hav- hav a ing advanced somewhat they will be unable to retain their gains That they are moving at atall all in China at a time when the demands of other fronts are growing so Imperative is significant significant significant cant of their anxiety about pos pos- possible possible sible bombing of their home cen cen- If they should fail in their i present purposes the reaction on on oni their morale both official and popular might have interesting results 1 q |