Fight Jungle To Make New Burma Road

Northern Advocate, 28 September 1943, Page 3

Fight Jungle To Make New Burma Road

NEW DELHI, September 27 A new Burma Road, the details of | which hitherto have been secret, has reached Japanese-occupied North Burma. Chinese troops, trained and led by Americans, are beating back the ! Japanese as a polyglot swarm of road | constructors bite deeper into the jungle. Associated Press says the first portion of the road has been built but much more must be constructed before it links up with the old Burma j Road. It is hoped to speed up con-j struction during the coming dry wea-; ther so the road at least will be us-; able for the transport of supplies in: the event of the occupation of part or all of Burma. The road runs from Assam into North Burma and will eventually link up the old Burma Road between Lashio and the Chungking route along, the southern slopes of the Himalayas. World’s Wildest Mountains It covers some of the world's wildest mountains and thickest jungles. It is officially named Ledo Road. Construction began on December 15. 1941. under the direction of American army engineers aided by a mass of bull-dozers, trucks and other mechanical equipment brought 16,000 miles by road, rail and sea. American negro troops are taking a key part, assisted by many Indo-Chinese, Burmese and British. A United Press correspond-; ent says the engineers consider this a; battle against the jungle and torrential rain—up to 300 inches annually in; places—mud. landslides, leeches and! malaria the toughest they are ever' likely to encounter.

Mountbattcn On The Eve Berlin radio, quoting Japanese reports from Shanghai, said Lord Mountbatten's plans for a general attack against Burma are almost complete. The war in East Asia is about to enter a new phase, and a strong, battle-; ! trained Japanese army is ready to Imeet offensive moves. Communications Bombed An India communique states that R.A.F. ] • Beauiighters continuing yesterday’s attacks; cn Japanese communications in j Burma, concentrated on railway targets,! while Hurricanes ( attacked river craft.: Two locomotives and upwards of 35 cov-j ered waggons were heavily damaged.! Other targets including a station build-i ing were set on fire. Transport was! • effectively attacked and sampans were! damaged on the Mayu River, south of 1 Kwazon. ,