" JAPAN'S WASTING ASSETS

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIII, Issue 44, 21 February 1942, Page 6

" JAPAN'S WASTING ASSETS

As anticipated, the Japanese are pushing southwards among the islands of the Dutch East Indies, as Avell as westwards on the mainland of Asia into Burma. According to the latest news, they have effected landings on Bali, the little island beloved of the tourist, close to the east end of Java, and at two points in Timor, to the south, the nearest in the East Indies to the Australian continent. They have twice raided Darwin. Australia's northernmost base, by air, and done some damage. The Japanese have been able to do so much in so little time because they enjoy—for the moment—almost complete local command of the sea and distinct local air superiority. But the fleet and the air force that furnish this advantage are, in the light of Japan's industrial capacity and resources, wasting assets; they cannot be replaced at anything like the rate at which they are being lost. The actual losses are not. admitted by the Japanese, but, according to official Allied reports, they are heavy, in respect of both sea and air power. At the same time. Allied sea and air power is steadily mounting. Stronger air support to the defenders of Burma is already noted, and the Japanese are sustaining considerable losses in their raids further south in the islands. Once the balance of air and sea power in the Pacific theatre of war swings in favour of the Allies, the whole position of the Japanese forces, scattered over a wide area of the archipelago, becomes untenable, and they can be dealt with piecemeal. As in Russia, the counter-offensive may come sooner than it is expected.