JAP PIGHEADEDNESS

Evening Post, Volume CXXXV, Issue 2, 4 January 1943, Page 3

JAP PIGHEADEDNESS

MAY ASSIST ALLIES

NEW YORK, January 3. The Washington correspondent of the "New York Times," Charles Hurd, says that, though 20,000 Japanese soldiers in the Solomons area are virtually rendered impotent by the American air and sea blockade and the losses of men and planes in New Guinea and also the disastrous naval losses have severely weakened her strength, Japan is still a redoubtable foe. She is developing her conquered resources, and also, according to reliable intelligence, possesses a large reservoir of shipping that has not yet been hazarded in the war zones. It is difficult as things stand for an Allied force to approach undetected within 2000 miles of the Japanese empire from. the sea, and therefore the question must be asked why Japan is willing to make tremendous sacrifices to defend the Solomons and New Guinea, where she has already lost 100,000 men and 1000 planes. It would be logical to assume that the Japanese commander would withdraw his hard-pressed outermost flanks and tighten his lines in preparation for renewed attacks against the Allies, but the Japanese do not hold this theory. This often-noted peculiarity of their military mind holds the prospect for the Allies that it may save the tremendous cost involved in an outright invasion of Japan by Japan permitting herself to be destroyed on the perimeter of her defences. If our fortunes continue as in the pa.t few .months this is not, impossible.