TRUTH WANTED

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 79, 18 April 1944, Page 5

TRUTH WANTED

CONDITIONS ON BURMA FRONT REPORTED DIFFERENCES AMONG COMMANDERS LONDON PRESS COMMENT (Rec. 11.20 a.m.) London, April 17. "It has been evident for a long time that things are not going as well as they might in Burma,” says the "Daily Mail” in a leading article. “None of the three campaigns in that country have so far fulfilled their early promise. Even more disturbing is the implication that our trouble there may have developed from differences of opinion behind the lines. More than one report to that effect has appeared here and in America the whole picture is too obscure to be reassuring. What the public needs more than anything is a clear statement showing exactly what is going on in Burma and why some of our hopes have been disappointed. "Yet, it is at this moment that five British correspondents cable that they feet unable to continue sending messages because one dispatch on which they spent five days had been completely suppressed. What that dispatch contained we of course d( not know, but there was never a time when there was more need for accredited correspondents to keep the people at home in daily touch with events.” MANIPUR CAM I» AIG N The "Daily Mail” recalls misgivings expressed a week ago about happenings on the Manipur front despite General Auchlinleck’s optimism and the cheery tone of official communiques. It was i stated that the Japanese in the Kohima area were beaten off and having a bad time at Manipur. The paper continues: "Yesterday it came out that the Japanese at one time actually cut the road from Kohima to Dimapur which is a supply base on the Bengal-Assam railway. This seemed to show tha 1 the Japanese menace is greater than generally supposed in Britain. To minimise an unfavourable situation and slur over setbacks is the worst possible policy. If things go seriously wrong explanations are apt to be awkward.” It has been stated that there are differences between General Auchinleck and Admiral Mountbatten. and Admiral Mountbatten and General Stilwell, that the India Command never favoured General Wingate’s expedition, that little help is coming from the Chinese, that Generals Stilwell and Chennault do not see eye to eye. The effect of this proliferation of rumours must be bad on the army in India Burma and will not have a good effect on public opinion.” IMPORTANT POSITIONS TAKEN London, April 16. “Patrol activity continued on the Arakan front on funday,” states a South-Dast Asia communique. “Patrolling continued in the Kuladan Valley. Contact was made yesterday with enemy elements northeast of Kaladan village and our offensive patrols were active in the neighbourhood c f Tiddim road. North-cast of the Imphal Plain we improved our positions in the surrounding hills. "In high ridges near Paleltamu road there was a slight increase in enemy pressure. We have captured further important positions on the new KohimaDimapur road where enemy casualties have been very heavy. Contact has been made with a small enemy party in the hills about 20 miles north north-east ol' Kohima. In the Fort Hertz area our patrols ambushed 120 Japanese and killed 28.”