A NEW ROUTE TO CHINA

New Zealand Herald, Volume 78, Issue 24131, 25 November 1941, Page 6

A NEW ROUTE TO CHINA

To assist supplies over the heavily congested Burma Road, a new route is to be used, starting from the railhead at Sadiya, in the northern tip of the Indian province of Assam. On his arrival in the Dominion Mr. Duff Cooper made it clear that there was a great deal of delay on the Burma Road on account of the number of authorities in charge. Other explanations are not so charitable and blame much of the delay to graft and incompetence. But even with good management it is estimated that the road will not carry more than 40,000 tons a month, compared with the 75,000 tons a month which once went to Chungking through Indo-China, Most of the material now passing through Burma will be Lend-Lease traffic, and according to one of yesterday's cablegrams will reach 13,000 tons a month before the end of the month. Even with this figure,'the need is felt for an additional route, particularly one that will be safe from Japanese bombers. One of Mr. Duff Cooper's many tasks is apparently to devise ways and means for speeding up supplies to China, whose effective resistance to Japan is an inseparable part of the war against Hitler. The greater the difficulties of Japan in China the less anxious she will be to embark upon adventures in the Pacific. It is therefore encouraging to learn of the commencement of a new highway from Sadiya. This will lead through mountainous country to the Yangtse-kiang and to Chungking, and its construction must be arduous and prolonged. Speed is the great factor in the relief of China. The paramount need would therefore seem to be the control of the Burma Road by British and American engineers and the removal of the incompetence now playing into Japan's hands.