USE OF SOVIET BASES AGAINST JAPAN

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 190, 8 May 1943, Page 5

USE OF SOVIET BASES AGAINST JAPAN

American Paper’s Advocacy (Received May 7, 10.35 p.m.) NEW YORK, May 6. “The former American Ambassador to Moscow, Mr. Joseph Davies, should ask M. Stalin for air bases in Siberia from which United States planes could attack Japan,” says the New York "Daily News.” Mr. Davies will visit M. Stalin in Moscow as President Roosevelt’s personal representative, and it has been reported that he might invite M. Stalin to return with him to meet Mr. Roosevelt. “America would be justified in asking for the use of Siberian bases in return for the lend-lease favours,” says the “Daily News.” “Japan is fortifying the rim of her large conquered empire with air bases backed by troops and ships. So far we have only pecked at tile perimeter of this empire. Guadalcanal and Papua are bright spots in United Stites military history, but they are only flea-bites in the hide of Japan. “The Japanese are still in the Aleutians. They claim the sinking of 50,000 tons of Allied shipping on the Australian supply route in the last nine days General MacArthur and the Australians keep calling for help. The recital of these facts, plus a. request for the Siberian bases, would be a highly appropriate part of any Stalin-Roosevelt conference. Pacific Problem. The New York “World Telegram” says in an editorial that Mr. Roosevelt is confronted with a military problem that will not be ignored—the need for action in the Pacific. “We can understand the British thinking that the battle in the Pacific is of secondary importance, because they are so far away,” adds the paper. “We cannot understand Americans who think in these European terms. “Americans as a whole feel strongly on this subject. The time has passed when their demands could be shrugged off as irresponsible emotionalism. Experts who know most about ’the Pacific war are the strongest objectors to the neglect of that front. America is producing at least 6000 planes a month. Is is fair to say that the small fraction that is sought by the Pacific commanders cannot be spared? Japan is everywhere consolidating her vast gains. Time is not on our side.”

WASHINGTON TALKS

LONDON, May 5.

The United States Secretary of War, Mr. Stimson, said tonight in Washington that Licut.-General Stilwell, commander of the American forces in the Far East, and Major-General Chenault, commander of the 14th U.S. Army Air Force in China, are shortly returning to the Far East. Mr, Stimson disclosed that these two generals have been in Washington to discuss future operations. Naturally, the details of the discussion cannot be revealed for the moment.