THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 1942 FAR-EASTERN COMMAND

New Zealand Herald, Volume 79, Issue 24214, 4 March 1942, Page 4

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 1942 FAR-EASTERN COMMAND

; A striking commentary on the [ rapidity of the Japanese advance in the Far East is the relinquishment i by General Wavell of his command 1 after he had held it for barely two ■ months. On his appointment at the beginning of January his authority was hailed as unprecedented in its scope and his task was defined as the defence of Singapore, the Nether- • lands Indies, Australia and New ! Zealand, and the preparation of an • eventual assault against the Axis in the Far East. The Americans and the Dutch willingly agreed to the subordination of their Asiatic forces p to a British general whose authority , was conferred after consultation with _• Australia and New Zealand. While J the military forces of this Dominion 5 were not subject to General Wavell, the Northern Territory with the vital point of Darwin was within his command. Now, after the Dutch are flung back to their last strong- . hold and the Americans are continuing an heroic resistance at Corregi- _ dor and the Batan Peninsula, Gen- , eral Wavell is transferred to another theatre of the Far Eastern war. He B returns to his old command in India >. and in addition takes over the con- ] trol of operations in Burma, where the outlook is as grim as it is in Java. The Burma Road is cut by the Japanese severing the railway running from Rangoon to Lashio and movements of enemy troops toward ' Shwegyin, fifty miles north of Pegu, s are said, to be the beginning of an . attempt to reach the Bay of Bengal t and to trap the defenders of southern Burma. Unquestionably, General 8 Wavell is going to a command of the . utmost importance. It is regrettable that a change in j the command of the South-west Pacific should have become necessary. In the first place the Dutch, with their backs to the wall, may be sur- . prised by the change at this crisis 3 of their fortunes. Yet, judging by the report in this morning's cablegrams 1 of an interview with Dr. van Mook, • the Lieutenant-Governor-General of i the Netherlands East Indies, the Dutch authorities have deplored the strategic effects of their subordination to an Allied High Command. Dr. van Mook speaks with proper frankness of the scant and tardy reinforcements sent to the East Indies and of the repeated failures to adopt the offensive. Enough has been published of the Malayan campaign to prove that it is probably the worst episode in the Empire's military history. The Dutch, impatient of poor strategy in Malaya, and the cautious tactics of Admiral Hart, displaced him for their own Admiral Helfrich. It may well be that the Government of the Netherlands East Indies is a willing parity to the transfer of General Wavell. However that may be, there is urgent need for a new outlook toward the problems of Java, Australia and New Zealand. To say, as was suggested in the news broadcast of the British Broadcasting Corporation, that General Wavell's transfer was necessary because he was left merely with Java, a remnant of the Philippines, and with the Northern Territory of Australia, is to under-estimate the importance of these areas of the Pacific. Java, it is true, is in a dire position. But surely it is not yet too late for some of America's naval strength to go to the aid of Admiral Helfrich. As the United States Chief of Staff has himself stated, the time has now come for carrying the war to the enemy. The transfer of Greneral Wavell, although it is announced from No. 10 Downing Street, must be the result of the joint decision of the British and American Governments. Until now, General Hartley has commanded in India and LieutenantGeneral Hutton in Burma. The Allied Governments are wise to unify these commands. The problems of the defence of India are manifold. Until the present war a standing army of 60,000 British and 150,000 Indian soldiers was always necessary to preserve order on the northwest frontier and internally in India itself. That force, of which a portion is abroad, has now been expanded to almost a million, a fifth of them technical personnel. This army is none too large to keep order and repel an invader, especially masters of infiltration tactics like the Japanese. A characteristic of Indian history is the success often attained by comparatively small bodies of invaders. India has a long coast-line and unhappily a considerable disaffected population. Only a general of the greatest capabilities can deal with so difficult a situation. Java's loss is India's gain. Sir Archibald Wavell's long experience of India, his popularity with the Indian Army and his great ability should immensely strengthen the Indo-Bur-mese High Command.