ROUTE TO BURMA WILL BE BY SEA

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 203, 27 August 1943, Page 3

ROUTE TO BURMA WILL BE BY SEA

MOUNTBATTEN'S TASK

Chinese Hopes Rise With New Appointment N.Z. Press Association—Copyright Rec. 11.30 a.m. LONDON, Aug. 26. "The appointment of Vice-Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten as Allied Commander-in-Chief of the new South-East Asia Command, makes it clear that the route to Burma will be by sea and not by land," says the British United Press correspondent in New Delhi. "This should secure for the United Nations the full benefit of air and naval superiority and deny the Japanese jungle cover, which otherwise would help to minimise the inferiority of Japanese arms. To repel Allied landings the Japanese must come into the open — that is the moment the commanders on this seemingly forgotten front are awaiting."

The correspondent of the New York Times in Ottawa says the appointment carries three important implications: (1) Mr. Churchill and President Roosevelt emphasised that the importance of the Pacific not only meant action, but early action; (2) the long-discussed campaign to retake Burma in order to re-estab-lish communication with China may soon become a reality; and (3) if, as reported, the difference of opinion between the British and the United States commands as to who should carry the brunt of the Burma campaign actually exists, it is significant that it is a British job.

Suspicion Of Delay Removed The British United Press correspondent in Chungking declared that Chinese hopes soared with the announcement of Lord Louis Mountbatten's appointment. It was previously feared that Allied strength would be concentrated in the South Pacific. Vice-Admiral Mountbatten's appointment removed suspicions that the attack against Burma might be delayed.

The appointment of Vice-Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten as Supreme Allied Commander in South-east Asia marks preparations for an early allout offensive against Japan, says the military writer of the Press Association. _ The opening stages of the offensive will require combined operations in which he is fully experienced.

General Sir Claude Auchinleck, Commander-in-Chief in India, will probably retain the static command of the forces in India, but will establish administrative liaison with Admiral Mountbatten. The operational duties of other commanders in relation to the supreme commander are so far not defined and it is not known to what extent Admiral Sir James Somerville, Commander-in-Chief Far Eastern Fleet, and Lieu-tenant-General J. W. Stilwell, Commander United States Forces in China, India and Burma, will come under Admiral Mountbatten's control.

Admiral Mountbatten, at the age of 43, is the third and youngest Supreme Allied Commander appointed since the entry of the United States into the war. General Eisenhower, Commander-in-Chief Allied Forces, North Africa, is 53, and General Mac Arthur, Supreme Commander in the South-west Pacific, is 63.

Great War of Sea Power The Daily Mail says big developments are expected as a result of Lord Louis' appointment. The war against Japan will probably focus suddenly on the Bay of Bengal, with the Andaman Islands in the news. A sudden collapse of Hitler's Europe might enable the army and air force to consider modest proposals for demobilisation, but every naval man will be needed to wage this war of sea power. The Arakan campaign, continues the paper, demonstrated that something much bigger, more imaginative and more enterprising than that advance over mountains and through jungles and controlled from distant Delhi is required if we are to retake Burma, Malaya and Singapore and bring succour to China. A land campaign must be the core of our attack, but there will also have to be a sea campaign on the largest possible scale and under a single command.

The nature of this great campaign begins to take shape. India and Australia will be the bases from which the Japanese will be levered from their ill-gotten possessions, while preparations are in the making for a direct attack on the heart of Japan itself. Most of the front against the Japanese comprised in the new command is a water front. Of 1800 miles between South Ceylon and North Burma, 1400 are accounted for by the eastern coasts of India and Ceylon. Eastern India faces Southern Burma across over 500 miles of water and Ceylon faces Northern Sumatra across 900 miles, with the Andaman and Nicobar Islands running between. The coasts held by the Japanese from Sumatra to Arakan extend over 1000 miles.