Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 29 January 1943 — Page 14

Are 1000 Miles From Center of Nipponese Power.

By A. T. STEELE

ight, 1943, by The 38 Inaishapolis me d The Chicago. Daily Times, In

Eo Jan. 29, — “The

ews is good from the Pacific yet task ‘of crushing Japan has|= y begun. The stern fact about|

e war in Asia is that the core of ‘Jap Tesistance-ihe Japanese army

—has been hardly |=

dented. In all the south Pacific, ~including

Burma, not more|=

than three or four

i: Jap divisions are| == in actual contact|S= : with the allied|= armies. And ex-|{== cept for the Chi-

nese, who are

without arma- =

Mr. Steele ment, and the

Russians, who are neutral, none of the allied ground forces are within|= 1000 miles of the main force and|=

{ts chief source of supply.

If it could be assumed that air|=

‘Power and sea power alone will defeat Japan, this would be no source of concern. But we cannot

be sure that they will. Those who = | know the Jap army and its fanati-|&

‘¢ism believe that it is quite possible

that that army will go on fight-|= ing even if the navy and air force|= are decisively defeated. By so do-|= ing, the Japs might hope to force|= : the allies to accept a compromise| = = peace instead of outright capitula~|=

tion,

or China. From one or both of these

countries the allies must ultimately |=

deliver the knockout blow, 80 Divisions Mobilized The distribution of Japanese

ground forces in Asia shows what|= the united nations are up against. = Japan, so far, has mobilized roughly |= 2,800,000 men. Her army consists|= of about 80 divisions averaging|=

15,000 then a division and supple-

mented by numerous auxiliary serv-|=

fces. Of this total at least 25 'divi-

sions are in China and another 21 |= in Manchuria. In Japan itself there|=

are another 10'or 15 divisions.

~ Thus three-fourths of the Jap|= army stationed in Japan and ad-|= BE jacent portions of the continent are |= & easily served by railways, roads and |= coastdl shipping. It must be ex-|= 5 pected that even if the Jap navy|=

“were reduced to impotence it would

still be ble for Japan to main-|= tain connection with her continental |= “pases across the narrow and well-(=

screened straits of Shimoneki.

Few Troops South of China * |=

In all the South ‘Pacific islands, = including the Dutch Indies, the = Philippines, Formosa and the Caro-|== lines, the Jap army has about. 10|= = _ divisions, or only one-eighth of its|= E total strength. The severance of |= these islands from their main bases| ==

necessarily a morta, one. The Jap|S war lords have shown in Guadal-|S eanal and New Guinea how cheaply |:

they hold the lives of their peasant soldiers and how ready they are to

sacrifice them in Tetarging the al-|=

In the continental countries of |= southern Asia—Malaya, Thailand,|= Indo-China and Burma—there are|= another 10 Jap divisions. These |=

haps destroyed but the allies will|= * still be 1000 miles from Jap major =

‘ land bases in China and Man- ~ chukuo.

_ The strength of the Jap army is|=

ts inaccessibility.’ Behind a screen

killing Japs at the rate of a couple E hundred daily but Jap youths are |= coming of age at the rate of a=

thousand daily.

BUTLER TO RESUME

FORUM DISCUSSION =

The Butler University forum will Josue its discussions at 8 p. m., 3 ay, Feb. 9, in Jordan hall on the Sampus. panel’s subject will be “Gov= » in Indiana, 1943.” members will include William BOOK, executive vice president of

a ar of House. snd Lionel Arts, head of

AF BOMBERS RAID TARGETS IN BURMA

we ‘VOLATILE RUS

It is a mistake to think of Japan = 8s a sea power only. In the past|= 11 years of contmental aggression, |= she has made herself a land power |= of formidable dimensions with land |= bases. vulnerable from only Russia|=

Since 1936 VICTOR has held its

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