GRAVE VIEW TAKEN

Southland Times, Issue 24684, 4 March 1942, Page 5

GRAVE VIEW TAKEN

REPLACEMENT OF WAVELL COLLAPSE IN JAVA FORECAST (Rec. 12.30 a.m.) NEW YORK, March 3. The Washington correspondent of The New York Times says it is generally interpreted in Washington that General Wavell’s replacement in the south-west Pacific command is a prelude to the collapse of organized resistance in Java, the last major Allied stronghold in Malaya, and the final source of petroleum for the united nations in that area. The significance of these events for Australia is still obscure, but the impression in Washington is that the Japanese will not attempt a major invasion of Australia, but will bombard it and pass on to attack India as the next major step in their goal of pushing westward to meet the German and Italian forces somewhere in the Middle East. The same correspondent says that the United States is sending an important supply mission to India soon for the purpose of helping in the defence of India and in assisting in the distribution of war materials from India to China and other united nations forces in the Middle eastern theatres of war. The decision to send a mission, which will probably be headed by a personal representative of Mr Roosevtl, is evidence of the growing realization in the United States of India’s importance to the war effort. With Rangoon cut off and Burma neutralized by the recent Japanes operations, India has become the centre from which Lease-Lend goods are being shipped to China. At the same time Japanese successes in the South-Western Pacific have raiesd serious doubts in Washington about the disdom of sending large quantities of materials to the South-West Pacific, lest they be intercepted en route or seized by the Japanese upon arrival. Consequently officials here now consider it wiser to make secure the defences of India, particularly Ceylon and the two main ports of entry, Calcutta and Bombay. If these points can be held it is hoped, despite the closing of the Burma road and the penetration of the Japanese to the Indian Ocean, that the united nations may be able to convoy materials to a central supply base in India for distribution to any theatre of war in that part of the world. American technicians will also assist in increasing the Indian output of small arms for Indian soldiers in order to strengthen the defences ot India for the expected Japanese assault, which officials here believe inevitable.