“THE HARD WAY”

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 87, Issue 63, 17 March 1943, Page 5

“THE HARD WAY”

TASK CONFRONTING ALLIES JAPS DEVELOP CONQUERED TERRITORIES Recd. 11 p.m. New York, March 15. “If you travel some 11,000 miles south-west of San Francisco and have a first-hand look at the combat points along the 5000-milo battle-front of the Pacific war you will realise what the Australian and American leaders mean when they say that time runs in favour of Japan,” declares Frank Bartholomew, vice-president of the United Press of America, who recently concluded a tour of the Pacific war zones.

“Men who have tried conclusions with the Japanese at every opportunity during the past year—General . MacArthur, Admiral Nimitz, Admiral Halsey and Lieut.-General Emmons—are believed to be unanimous in the heartening conclusion that the Japanese can be defeated in a relatively short while after the men, ships, planes and equipment now sent to Africa and Europe can be diverted to the Pacific,” he adds. “The composite opinion of these men seems to be that the war can be ended by an invasion of Tokio in the winter of 1945, provided the European Axis powers are conquered by 1944, which competent authorities oelieve to be the earliest practicable date. However, if the European war runs into a stalemate the majority opinion among top American military leaders in the Pacific is that it will take between five and ten years to defeat Japan. In that event time would run heavily in Japanese favour. The enemy would be able to sit back behind his outer perimeter defences and digest his fabulously rich loot in Malaya and the Dutch Ease Indies.” Bartholomew says the Japanese are already getting oil from the conquered territories, and that rubber and tin production is functioning again. “If the United Nations permit this to continue they will win the war against Japan the hard way. It will be particularly hard if a stalemate exists in Europe and the United States is forced to continue fighting on several fronts. It would call for the maximum in civilian sacrifices In America. A great increase in our production of war materials would be necessary, and we would have to raise an army calling every available man up to 45.”