FIGHTING JAPAN

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 80, 2 October 1944, Page 5

FIGHTING JAPAN

PROBLEM OF SUPPLY

«»«,*•» N? W 1£ RK ' s^Ptember 30. Speaking, at a Press conference in »an Francisco, the Secretary of the Navy, Mr. James V. Forrestai, declared that the supply problem in iHe Pacific was three times that. of Europe's. "We have the* power with which t& beat the Japanese, he said, "but our problem is transporting that power."

a Admiral Halsey and General MacArthur have, been clipping the Japanese under both ears during the past two months. These successes, while imposing, cannot be regarded as an indication of quick victory. There is still a good part of the Japanese navy left and 3,500,000 to 4,000,000 men hi the army.

_ 'The Japanese know that they will be thoroughly beaten if our national Y^Vtf sufficient to carry us through. Ail -they now count on is the hope that we shall be bored with the war when Germany is finished and hope we are ; going to Jet them off the hook. I believe they are badly mistaken." Japan's battleship strength is down to eight vessels, including four 45,000 tonners which would be ready for service m three months. This information was gained by the Korean underground movement and reported to the Commonwealth Club by Kilson Haan, the Korean leader.

Other underground sources report the Japanese own the following ships: Twelve aircraft-carriers, 16 converted carriers, 182 destroyers, 102 submarines, 24 c^rgo submarines, each of 4500 tons, 22 heavy cruisers, and 28 light cruisers.

The Japanese are building 3000 fighter planes a month. The largest plant is at Peiping and the second largest at Mukden. Japanese merchantmen have been kept up to about prewar tonnage. New production is estimated at 2,000,000 tons a year. Mr. Haan said he visited' the State Department offices in Washington on the Saturday before Pearl Harbour and then tried' to give the latest information on the Japanese fleet's approach to Hawaii, but was told to return on Monday.

Later Colonel Knox told him: "Your predictions were indeed borne out."