JAPANESE GOAL

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 24869, 15 April 1944, Page 7

JAPANESE GOAL

IMPHAL PLAIN SOUGHT STRONG ALLIED HOLD BURMA FRONT REVIEWED (Reed. G.;?0 p.m.) LONDON, April 14 There is no strategic importance in small parties of Japanese cutting the Manipur Road, but tactically it is a great nuisance, said Air Marshal Sir Philip Joubert, deputy-chief of staff of the South-east Asia Command, who has just returned from Burma. " The Japanese dig in like rats in the underbrush and their every defensive position has to be laboriously reduced," he said. "The Burma front extends for 700 miles as the crow flies and 1000 mires as a man walks or a mule scrambles. Therefore it is nearly as long as the Russian front, but very much worse served by communications. Scattered Patrols Only Defence " There are only three large districts where large-scale fighting is j going on. Between these districts there are vast areas where scattered patrols form the only defence on either side. " The Japanese main objective at present is probably the Imphal Plain, the possession of which would eliminate the most serious Allied threat to the Japanese in Burma. We hold the Imphal Plain strongly with tanks and guns against what the Japanese can carry on their backs through forest | paths. " The battle of Arakan is being fought over an area of 50 square miles. The battle for Imphal and the Manipur Road covers nearly 300 times as much ground, thereby giving the enemy much greater opportunity of making himself a nuisance. "Our achievements so far, if not ambitious, are solid. We have largely destroyed Japanese air power. We have killed a large number of the enemy and forced them to use nearly twice the number of troops they employed last autumn." Race With Malaria The Daily Herald's military correspondent says the opposing armies are engaged in a race with malaria. With the monsoon about six weeks away, both sides are fighting to get out of the malaria-infested areas or drive the enemy into them. One of the "safe" areas is the Imphal Plain. He adds that unless the Japanese can keep the road to Kohima cut, which would probably mean the use of larger forces than have yet been employed, the Allies should be able to hold on. Discussing the Japanese penetration into India at his press conference in Washington, Mr. H. L. Stimson, Secretary of War, said the Japanese were now attacking both Imphal and Kohima. He pointed out that it is not very difficult for troops to penetrate hilly jungle areas. Linear defence at Imphal was impracticable, but it was possible to retain certain strong defence points which British and the Indians were so far holding. Admiral Mountbatten's Visit Admiral Lord Louis Mount-batten, Supreme Allied Commander in SouthEast Asia, paid a lightning visit to Imphal on Easter Saturday. He had a conference with the corps commander and spoke to war correspondents. Afterward he drove to the headquarters of the 17th Indian Division and congratulated the men on what he called one of the best battles in this war. The Allied commander also spoke to men of a north of England regiment and British and Indian officers of a Gurkha regiment before flying back from Imphal. Latest- reports from the Imphal front indicate that Japanese attacks have slackened, at least for the moment. Up the road from Imphal to the Assam railhead the enemy has made some progress north-west of Kohima. Hand-to-Hand Fighting Allied forces, after heavy hand-to-hand fighting in the foothills northwest of Imphal Plain, captured a position, states a South-east Asia communique. Contact is being maintained with the enemy on the Imphal-Tiddim road where operations are confined to patrolling and artillery fire. The situation at Kohima, from where increased Japanese pressure was reported, has improved. American forces east of the_ Mogaung Valley inflicted heavy casualties on the Japanese and drove them from Ohpum. Fighters, tighter-boihbers _ and dive-bombers attacked communications, supply lines and installations in the Arakan, Kaladan. Mavu, Chin Hills and Chi ml win Valley areas. General Stiiwell's communique states that Chinese troops, continuing their advance in the Mogaung Valley, occupied Wakawng. The enemy retreated, leaving a number of dead. Another Chinese column is engaging the enemy west of Warazup. PAN-AMERICAN UNION

ANNIVERSARY BROADCASTS (Reed. 6.10 p.m.) LONDON April 14 The anniversary of the formation of the Pan-American Union in 19.10 will fall to-morrow. The Foreign Minister of Argentina will broadcast on Argentine foreign policy. It is thought in Washington that this will give an opportunity to bring about closer understanding between the United States and Argentina. The United States Secretary of State, Mr. Cord ell Hull, will broadcast a message from Washington.

The basic purpose of the Pan-Ameri-can Union is to develop closer intellectual and commercial relations between the Republics of the American Continent and to promote international cooperation in every possible way. The union is supported by quotas paid by the Republics in proportion to their population. One of the most important functions of the union is to prepare the agenda for the periodic Pan-American ( onferenees.