THE GAINS IN BURMA
Villard, Oswald Garrison
The Gains In Burma By Oswald Garrison Villard THE recent improvement in our situation in Burma is most gratifying, not only because of the advances achieved, but because of the energy,...
...The monsoon does raise the question as to how the American and British units dropped in the jungle, and up till now largely supplied from the air, will be able to continue to survive...
...While it is difficult to obtain any clear perspective of the Burmese situation because of its immensity and the number of columns operating, the readers of this correspondence should bear in mind that Myitkyina is one of the most important points in Burma, and that its capture by the Japanese two years ago practically marked the end of British resistance and the cutting of the Burma Road...
...When the Japanese crossed the boundary, Gen...
...Nonetheless they have failed to take Imphal after completely surrounding it...
...If anything was to be accomplished before the monsoon this year, risks had to be taken and new methods tried...
...Whether Gen...
...The very diversity and helter-skelter character of the warfare in many sectors may be counted on to upset the whole Japanese plan of campaign,, for the Japanese soldier, while very good at carrying out orders, is apt to crack when suddenly confronted with situations not called for in his instructions...
...Their rapid advance and the fall of Myitkyina should do much to encourage the gravely endangered government in Chungking...
...What About The Monsoon...
...Gen...
...The purpose of this whole movement is to join up with the troops of Gen...
...The Gains In Burma By Oswald Garrison Villard THE recent improvement in our situation in Burma is most gratifying, not only because of the advances achieved, but because of the energy, aggressiveness, the initiative, and the daring revealed...
...That would seem to be the most important question since heretofore the heavy rains have invariably stopped all hostilities...
...So far they seem to have succeeded—there must be a little reservation in commenting on what is happening because of the uncertainty as to how much of the whole truth we are getting from the British and Chinese censors...
...The most sensational and encouraging events are far away to the northeast where under American stimulus the Chinese swept across the Salween River in Yunan, China, and on a 100 mile front charged into Burma, taking an extremely difficult and dangerous pass, the Mamien, by surprise...
...Au-chinleck declared that the invasion was of no importance unless it threatened the supply lines...
...Merrill, also in a surprise attack, fought his way into the outskirts of Myitkyina after taking the airdrome in a sudden rush, which also caught the Japanese wholly unprepared...
...Roosevelt for aid which made the Chinese start their Salween River drive so near-to the coming of the monsoon...
...How they will get provisions to maintain them during the months to come is undoubtedly a Stilwell-Merrill secret, but these gifted officers must certainly have faced this contingency from the beginning as have the Japanese...
...While the British were taken off guard in the invasion of India in the Imphal region, they have rallied quickly enough to check any further developments sufficient to cause alarm in that sector, and, if their bulletins may be believed, are definitely crowding the Japanese back and perhaps even restricting them to the Kohima region...
...It soon appeared that that was the Japanese objective, and while we were soon told that the Japanese were facing a complete and early disaster they have now held on for almost two months, with the monsoon close at hand...
...Stilwell deserves all the credit or should share it with others, the fact is that for the first time in Asia the Allies are not only taking the offensive, but are doing so in new ways and with complete willingness to take marked risks...
...Other troops of Gen...
...There is, however, an intimation that somehow or other the Americans and their Chinese allies will continue to fight if it is in any way possible...
...Stilwell's forces have thrown a block across the Mo-gaung-Myitkyina road...
...Purpose Of The Drive It must be pointed out, too, that even though the Japanese seem to be losing their final hold in the Imphal sector, the British have been much slower in rooting them out than their earlier bulletins led us to expect...
...Undoubtedly it was the gravity of China's plight and her latest appeal to Mr...
...But the fact is that we have attacked from the air at various points at which we have had to rely upon air borne supplies of food and ammunition in order to keep going, and have steadily advanced...
...Frank Merrill and to make possible a reopening of at least part of the Burma Road...
...Just what effect will the monsoon have on all this...
...Whatever the answer, the fact is that this Burma campaign, if it stops now, is ending in a blaze of, glory, with good ground for the hope that when thai fighting season rolls around again next Fall we shall really be in a position to put through the new connection with the Burma Road and begin once more to supply China by truck as well as by air...
Vol. 8 • June 1944 • No. 23
