THE BRITISH ROLE

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 69, 19 September 1944, Page 4

THE BRITISH ROLE

ATTACK FROM THE WEST

NEW YORK, September 18. It is understood that Britain's assignment in the war against Japan is primarily a series of amphibious operations against Malaya and Sumatra, says the. Washington correspondent of the Associated Press of America.

This means that the Quebec conference confirmed the division of the Pacific and Asiatic battlefront into four general/ sectors: first, the British sector south-west of the Philippines; second, the New Guinea and Philippines sector under General Mac Arthur; third, the central sector, embracing Formosa and Japan proper, under Admiral Nimitz; fourth, the Kurile Islands, also under Admiral Nimitz, which will become of paramount importance if .Russia enters the war.

Britain's assignment is based • primarily on the location of bases and supply lines. Naval authorities maintain that if the British put their fleet into the Pacific it would create a number of new supply problems and tax the shipping facilities, which are already strained to maintain General MacArthifr and Admiral Nimitz. The British already have a big fleet based on Ceylon, from which they will probably move to Singapore, building up bases and supply lines en route.