OUT OF BURMA

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 146, 22 June 1945, Page 4

OUT OF BURMA

STILWELL'S MARCH EPIC OF FAR EAST WAR In the years to come, when the epic stories of the present war are recalled, due prominence will be given to the march of an undisciplined, untrained band through Burma into India under the leadership of General Joseph W. Stilwell, who, to-day, is commander of the U.S. Tenth Army on Okinawa in succession to General Buckner, who was killed in action last Monday.

"Vinegar Joe," "Uncle Joe"—call him what you will—is a colourful personality who has left the imprint of his idiosyncrasies upon the trend of events in the East in recent years. This 62-year-old seasoned campaigner is a product of the famous U.S. military academy, West Point. He left there in 1904 and, 15 years later, when a captain, he interested himself in Chinese affairs and began to learn the Chinese language. Later the Army sent him to Peking to perfect his Chinese dialects. Altogether he spent 15 years in China and, in consequence, he knows that country better than many a "brasshat" directing affairs from an office desk. A Motley Band The historic march put of Burma took place in May, 1942. At a dogged, fixed pace of 105 steps per minute, which became known as the "Stilwell Stride," the iron-haired, grim, skeleton-thin general walked into India with tommy gun on his shoulder at the head of a polyglot party of weary, hungry, sick American, British and Chinese Army officers, enlisted men, Burmese women nurses and a devil's brew of Indian and Malayan mechanics, railwaymen, cooks, refugees, cipher clerks and mixed breeds of southern Asia.

For three weeks General Stilwell, the oldest of them all, led his little band through Burma's parched roads, teakwood forests and steaming jungles, across the Chindwin River, up mountain trails, over the 7000 ft Saijapao Pass and down into India. The journey was accomplished only a few days' march ahead of the pursuing Japanese and without the loss of a single member of the party. Attack From China Thus forced out of Burma, General Stilwell returned to Chungking to induce Marshal Chiang Kai-shek to invest him with sufficient authority to command Chinese troops attacking on the Burmese front. He was given command, but it was never secure or efficient. In March, 1944, he was appointed Deputy-Supreme Commander in South-east Asia and in the following May he was placed in command of the Chindits, a penetration force organised by the late General Wingate for fighting behind the Japanese lines in Burma.

Meanwhile differences were reported to have arisen between General Stilwell and Marshal Chiang as to how.the Far East war should be conducted. Culminating point in the failure of the Chinese generalissimo and the peppery American veteran to agree was the announcement last October that the latter had been relieved of his duties and recalled to Washington.

Back in the States General Stilwell had nothing to say regarding his recall from China, and the next heard of him was his appointment as commander of the United States ground forces, in succession to Lieutenant-General Ben Lear. In his new post he had control of the training of all American troops not yet allocated to theatres of operations.

But General Stilwell had not finished with the Far East. Recently he went to the Philippines to consult with General Mac Arthur. On the heels of that consultation comes his appointment to his present command on Okinawa.