FORCES AGAINST JAPAN

Southland Times, Issue 25668, 10 May 1945, Page 2

FORCES AGAINST JAPAN

Peace Overtures Likely OVERWHELMING POWER OF ALLIES NEW YORK, May 7. Japan is facing alone the most overwhelming combination of fighting power ever assembled, says the Washington correspondent of The New York Herald Tribune. It was suggested today that this was likely to bring early Japanese peace overtures. Japan must expect blows from a fleet of nearly, 2000 warships, from grpund forces swelled by 3,000,000 European veterans and air forces augmented by 5000 heavy bombers and twice as many fighters and medium bombers. State Department experts think this array will give the Japanese military clique an opportunity to save their face by advancing the argument that Japan cannot fight the world alone, but do not believe that they are likely to offer unconditional surrender. They feel that Japan will be willing to give up Manchuria but will insist on retaining Korea. Australia’s armed forces total 800,000 and Canada’s more than 500,000. The French report a sizeable force undergoing special training for Pacific warfare and ready to move. Latest naval figures give America 1175 combat ships, Britain 500, France 175, besides unspecified elements of the Italian, Polish and Netherlands fleets. The most important effect of the end of the European war is the release of hundreds of small convoy vessels and escort carriers to guard the long Pacific communications lines.