MOUNTBATTEN’S PLANS

Waikato Times, Volume 193, Issue 22198, 18 November 1943, Page 5

MOUNTBATTEN’S PLANS

LINKS WITH CHINA SUSPICIONS DISPELLED (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) LONDON. Nov. 17 From now on there is likely to be a marked increase in contacts between New Delhi and Chungking, says the Times correspondent at General Headquarters in India. One of the first achievements of the new South-East Asia Command has been the reinforcement of operational links with China and these are now undoubtedly closer than at any time since the outbreak of the war. Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten’s visit to Marshal Chiang Kai-shek made a deep impression not only on the Chinese commander’s entourage, but also among the Americans. Almost overnight a certain suspicion of Britain’s attitude to the war in the Far East has been more or less dispelled.

Lord Louis Mountbatten has established excellent relations with the American generals, with whom he lives in the same house. The appointment that Lieutenant-General J. W. Stilwell will hold has not yet been announced but it is common knowledge that he will be very near to Lord Louis Mountbatten. Anglo-Chinese Co-operation

General Carton de Wiart, V.C., who has been in New Delhi for consulta- j tions, will go to Chungking, where it j is expected that his personality will j appeal to the Chinese. General de Wiart is likely to divide his time between the two headquarters. Probably a Chinese mission will be attached to Lord Louis Mountbatten’s headquarters. Thus there is a most encouraging prospect of full co-op-eration between the two Commands in planning future offensives. Ideas regarding the significance of the Burma Road are beginning to change. Most political thought maintains that this link with the outside world must be restored. The majority also possibly see the Burma Road, in spite of the comparatively small tonnage it carried, as a channel whereby a stream of arms and consumer goods might flow to China, but there is a small group of thinkers who apparently see the problem in terms of amphibious operations. This school says: “Let us get back to the plains. Give us a port into which the ships can come, with the river behind.”

The correspondent adds that one school of thought seems to look at the war against Japan in terms of equipping vast armies in China and more or less marching to Tokio. Another sees it as a series of amphibious operations along the coasts, culminating in great naval actions to crush Japanese seapower. Probably the answer lies in a combination of the two, but the difficulties of both methods are enormous until overwhelming strength can be brought into action.