THREAT TO FRONT

Evening Post, Volume C, Issue 40, 17 February 1942, Page 5

THREAT TO FRONT

THATON A KEY CITY

(Rec. ribbn.) LONDON, Feb. 16. Japanese motorised units, tanks, and infantry are" pouring over the marshy ricefields on the coast in an all-out drive to capture the key railway town of Thaton, says the Rangoon correspondent of the "Daily Express," If the Japanese capture Thaton they will cut the railway communi-. cation with Rangoon and the Allied troops will be driven out of the Martaban region. It is officially admitted in Rangoon tonight that British lines have been broken in several points. While the American promise of reinforcements is noted in Rangoon with satisfaction, there is a tendency to point out that Washington and London have only just discovered the importance of the defence of Burma, whereas the Burmese have always .suspected that the J&parie^e were able to attack Burrria and have riot made the mistake of under-estimating their strerigth. The Burmese Press, criticises the army communiques, which cloak the operations iri obscure lariguage.