JAPAN'S STRATEGY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24968, 15 July 1942, Page 3

JAPAN'S STRATEGY

STRONG HOME DEFENCES NAVAL ADVENTURES UNLIKELY (Rec. 1 a.m.) NEW YORK, July 14. Japan's strategy from now on will aim at building up strong defences in her interior and she will not risk her navy in fresh unnecessary adventures. This opinion is held by the Far Eastern correspondent of the New York Times. Mr Hugh Eyas, who is now in New York. Mr Byas adds: "There will be fejnts and assault raids on Australia, India, and the Pacific coast of the United States, but these will be intended to disperse our forces and maintain morale at home. There may be efforts to establish bridgeheads and airfields in Australian and Alaskan territory. Siberia would be far easier to deal with than Australia and India, but Japan is likely to concentrate on defence." Mr Byas makes an exception on China, stating that there can be no security for Japan unless the Chinese people are subjugated. SUDDEN ATTACK ON RUSSIA OPINION IN LONDON RUGBY, July 13. Behind the comparative lull in the Far East, the following tendencies are noticed in London:— * The Japanese are concentrating on clearing the railway across Chekiang and Kiangsi from Hangchow to Nanking in order to control all regions in Eastern China from which Japan could be bombed. The constant drift, of Japanese forces to the north is regarded as preparation for a sudden attack on Russia at an opportune moment. CHINESE RECAPTURE FUTOU CHUNGKING. July 13. The Chinese have recaptured Futou Island. Fighting is still in progress to the north-west of Wen chow. The Chinese have temporarily checked the Japanese two-pronged drive towards Foochow and Wenchow, the last remaining seaports in Chinese hands. The Japanese are speeding air reinforcements to Kiangsi to rescue 30,000 troops entrapped between the Kan and Fu Rivers.

The Chinese newspaper Takung Pao, recalling the old Chinese saying, "There's plenty of noise on the staircase, but nobody comes down," urges America to open a second front in Europe, and also to increase activity against Japan. The Chinese Minister of Communications, Mr Chang Chiang, has reported that the capacity of the air lines now linking China with the outside world compares favourably with the Burma road, and ■still further expansions of air transport are expected to increase freight carrying. Chang also reported success in providing substitute land routes for the Burma road. The Japanese have impressed 5.000,000 Chinese labourers during the five years' occupation of North China, and sent them to Manchuria and Japan to relieve the acute labour shortage, says the Associated Press correspondent. Now the Japanese are planning to conscript 2,000,000 additional workers. According to the correspondents informants, the Japanese use various pretexts to arrest youthful labourers, and transport them to undisclosed destinations.