LACK OF NEWS ON BURMA

Press, Volume LXXX, Issue 24236, 19 April 1944, Page 3

LACK OF NEWS ON BURMA

No Clear Picture Of Campaign LONDON PAPERS CRITICAL (N.Z. Press Association— Copyright) (Rec. 10 p.m.) LONDON. April 17. British national newspapers to-day protested to the authorities against the operation of military censorship in India, particularly in reference to the fighting in Burma. Correspondents in Turma yesterday advised their offices that they were ceasing to file messages until the censorship position improved. The British United Press correspondent in New Delhi says: "While expressing confidence in the military leaders who are conducting the Burma campaign, some Indian newspapers, including the 'Times of "India,* are calling for a clearer picture of the progress of operations. "Developments are at present hidden behind obscure official phraseology. It is known, however, that the Japanese have established a sizeable road block on another track across the hills from Bishenpur to Silchar, which is the only

remaining land link between Imphal and India. The Japanese have also pushed to within. 10 miles of Imphal, where for a number of days they have been fighting for possession of strategic hill features. Other Japanese forces are coing the same thing between Palel, Tammu. and the Tiddim road, apparently with the intention of containing the British troops' in the Manipur valley. "Moreover, a Japanese force of some strength is attacking Kohima, possession of which will permit the enemy to concentrate on Imphal. "The battle so far has followed the familiar pattern of the Burma and Malaya campaigns of 1942, with the difference that the British have this time held on to their positions. All the information available indicates that the Japanese have lost .heavily and have almost reached the limits of their offensive strength, though they may be bringing up reinforcements. The Bri-i tish are also bringing up reinforce-1 ments and have begun to clear the Japanese road blocks on the Dimapur-j Imphal road, but it is not clear whether this is the beginning of the awaited British offensive or not. "It seems pretty certain that the Bri-1 tish have known for almost two years that the Japanese might attempt an invasion of.Manipur. They must have plans for dealing with the situation. Those plans may now be coming into operation, and this may be one of the reasons for the lack o" news." "Things Not Going Well'; "It has. been evident for a long time that things are not going as well as they might in Burma," says the "Daily Mail" in a leading article. "None of the three campaigns in that country has 'so far fulfilled.its early promise. Even more disturbing is the implication that our trouble there may have devejoped from differences of opinion behind the lines. More than one report to that effect has appeared here and in America. "The whole picture is too obscure to be reassuring. What the public, needs more than anything is a clear statement showing exactly what is going on in Burma and why. "Some of our hopes have been disappointed, yet it is this moment that -five British correspondents cable that they feel unable to continue sending messages because one dispatch on which they spent five days has been completely suppressed. "What that dispatch contained we, of course, do not know, but there was never a time when there was more neeu for accredited correspondents to keep the people at home in daily touch wihi events." The "Daily Mail" recalls the misgivings expressed a % week ago about happenings on the Manipur front, "in spite of General. Auehinleck's optimism and the cheery tone of the official communiques. It has been stated that the Japanese in the Kohima area have been beaten off and that they are having a bad tin.; in Manipur," the paper continues. "Yesterday it came out that the Japanese at one time actually cut the road from Kohima to Dimapur, which is a supply base on the Bengal-Assam railway. This seemed to show that the Japanese menace is greater than is generally supposed in Britain. To minimise unfavourable situations and slur over set-backs is the worst possible policy. If things go seriously wrong, explanations are apt to be awkward. Differences Reported Between Leaders "It has been stated that there are differences between General Auchinleck and Lord Louis Mountbatten, and between Lord Mountbatten and Lieu-tenant-General Stilwell, that the India Command never favoured the Wingate expedition, that little help is coming from the Chinese, and that LieutenantGenera 1 Stilwell and ' Major-General Claire Chennault do not see eye to eye. The effect of this proliferation of rumours must be bad on the Army in India and Burma and it will not have a good effect on public opinion." The Imphal plains are in Allied hands, but fighting is continuing in the hills north-east of Imphal. , "North-east of the Imphal Plain we have improved our positions in the surrounding hills." says a south-east Asia communique. "In the high ridges near the Palel-Tarrimu road there has been a slight increase in enemy pressure. Wp have captured further important posi-! tions near the Kohima-Dimapur road, where enemy casualties have been very heavy. Contact has been made with a small enemy party in the hills about 20 miles north-north-east of Kohima. "In the Fort Hertz area our patrols ambushed 120 Japanese and killed 2fi. West of Sumprabum, a section of the Myitkyina road was attacked and captured by levies. "Patrol activity continued on the Arakan front on Sunday. Patrolling l continues in the Kaladan valley. Contact was made yesterday with enemy elements north-east of'the Kaladan village and our offensive patrols were active in the neighbourhood of the Tiddim road. "Our air forces during the week-end bombed brideos find other strategic targets and strafed enemy positions." JAPANESE LEAVE BOGADJIM SYDNEY. April 18. Australian patrols in New Guinea are penetrating beyond Bogadjim towards Madang. They have seen no signs of the enemy. The indications are that the Japanese have entirely abandoned the area round Bogadjim. Mr Fraser in Washington.—Members of the United States House of Representative? and Senate gave a reception to the New Zealand Prime Minister (Mr Fraser) and four British members of Parliament who are going t 0 New Zealand and Australia.—Washington, April 1& f .-*

A disturbance was created in a cafe in Whangarei on Sunday evening when an American serviceman led the horse he had been riding into the cafe. Startled, the horse kicked out and damage was done to crockery and furniture. Although the cafe was full at the time, no one was injured. The serviceman led the horse out, remounted and rode away. , J