INTEREST ROUSED

Waikato Times, Volume 106, Issue 22659, 12 July 1945, Page 5

INTEREST ROUSED

WAR IN FAR EAST RESULT OF BIG RAIDS OPINIONS IN ENGLAND ( Special Correspondent) (Received July 12, 11 a.m.) LONDON, July 11 onTi 16 . atta ck on Japan by nearly 2000 aircraft in 15 hours, including the raids by 1000 carrier-borne aircraft, has made a deep impression here. The latter particularly is regarded as a tremendous feat. It is recalled that when the Bomber Command launched the first 1000-bomber raid against Cologne it was regarded as a supreme feat of organisation. To get the same number of aircraft off the decks of carriers is regarded as a far greater feat. This news has swung interest again to the war against Japan. Commenting on the position in the Far East, the News Chronicle’s military critic expresses the view that-fighting may continue in the South-West Pacific for 12 months, in and around Japan for two years, and that in China and eventually Manchuria and Korea it may be indefinitely prolonged. He adds that it is possible, of course, that political or psychological influences may cut short hostilities, but he thinks there is no military reason why the war should be expected to end sooner. New Chinese Armies The writer continues that two factors which may hasten the end are the speed with which the new Chinese armies can be trained and ! equipped, and the date of possible ; Russian intervention. With the i arrival of five battle-worthy Chinese ' divisions from Burma it may be posI sible to put new Chinese armies in , the field sooner than expected once i American war materials have been landed in great quantities. He considers that it becomes more certain daily that if early success is to be scored in Asia its date depends on Chinese planning and co-operation. The writer does not expect any immediate developments from the direction of Rangoon, but taking the long view he says it is not overoptimistic to expect British and Dominion troops to celebrate Christmas in Singapore. He thinks it unlikely that an invasion of Japan will be launched before the position has improved in South China by exploiting the recent ! Chinese success. j Writing in the Daily Express, I Brigadier F. R. Johnson says Okin- ! awa was fought because the Japanese I know that if their homeland should | collapse tomorrow only half the i Pacific war would be over. He conf siders that Okinawa is the key to the struggle with the new Japan. The second half of the job, which begins when Japan proper falls, is the destruction of the duplicate Japan which has its nerve centre and arsenal in Manchuria. Government, army and war indus- ! tries, all complete, await the moment when the son of heaven flies over and ousts the puppet Puyi from the throne. All Manchuria and every corner of , China where 2,000,000 of the 4,000,000 Japanese troops are spread, will be within easy reach of Okinawa’s Super-Fortresses with their 3500 miles turn-round. Brigadier Johnson thinks the American Navy could now make a landing at any time* on the Chinese coast which the Chinese cleared from Hong Kong to Shanghai. He regards Okinawa as the keypoint for the last smashing of Japan and then the base for the conquest of Manchuria.