| Show India Can an Do What Chinese Did DidT T To o Jap ap Invaders Experts Say B By JOHN JOliN R. R MORRIS NEW DELHI India March 20 UP UP India India c can n do what China did to Japanese invaders That is the conclusion of experienced foreign observers and of hundreds of Indians of all classes with whom I have talked in almost every part of this fabulous land of square miles and pop population lation The Japanese will find more enemies here than they found in China where I witnessed their in invasion invasion invasion in- in operations and these Indian Indian Indian In In- dian enemies will be capable of surviving hardships equal to anything anything anything any any- thing Japan imposed upon China But only the outcome of the visit of cf f Sir Stafford Cripps Britain's lord privy seal and special envoy of the London cabinet will decide whether Great Britain wilt will One One Risk Risk the loss of an indifferent indifferent indifferent ferent India to Japan Two Two Lose Lose India as a colony by promptly agreeing to a status of p d dC C 1 that ill will vill rally rth the whole country the united nations war effort effort There arc are two main phases phases- phases phases- military and political in political in t the problem problem lem jow presented by India in the united nations war front Both are urgent The military problem in the hands of Sir Archibald ell Wn has its dark side but Wavell himself himself himself him him- self believes that Japan would be doomed by any direct attempt at conquest of India Expert military military mili- mili tary opinion outside the British high command generally agrees with this view w. These experts frankly acknowledge acknowledge edge that it probably will be impossible impossible impossible im im- im- im possible to prevent the Japanese from landing in India or at a a. number of points on the Indian coastline This they recall the Japanese did in China But they argue a Japanese army invasion soon would bog Continued on P Five Column Six I India Can Do What Chinese Chine e Did i To Jap Invaders Experts Say I Continued from Page One down in limitless India even more hopelessly than the Japanese have bogged down in China Furthermore Furthermore Furthermore Further Further- more an invasion of India would not be necessary from the Japanese Japanese Japanese Japa Japa- nese viewpoint if other objectives on their program can be achieved At this point the military problem problem lem of India begins to merge with the political problem And here hereit it should be understood that the great majority of all shades of political opinion in this country is well aware that conquest by Japan would end any idea of independence ence for generations to come On that basis it Imay may be said that Japans Japan's enemies here are more numerous th than n they were in China and just as tough Cripps' Cripps job is seeking acceptance acceptance acceptance accept accept- ance of the London Condon ondon cabinets cabinet's still undisclosed plan on Independence and he must convince the Indians I that this power must be put into effect against the common enemy Any appraisal of his chances of success must take into consideration tion the vast differences among the Indian population and must start with acknowledgment that no one solution can satisfy all Conversations with tives of almost every faction and with British authorities however have created a strong impression that an offer of status resembling that of Canada or Australia within within within with with- in the British commonwealth of nations would be acceptable to a majority great enough to assure success of Cripps' Cripps negotiations Perhaps a majority of Indians Indians' would be satisfied even if that status were not effective until the war ends provided there was a firm agreement on establishment of a government of Indians with a responsible national assembly todeal to todeal todeal deal immediately with internal af af- fairs This would leave questions of defense in allied hands during the war war |
