World Battlefronts: BATTLE OF ASIA: The Admiral Could Not Laugh

Imphal is the capital of the little state of Manipur. It lies in a swampy valley, famous in agriculture for its rice and tea production, famous in sport as the place where polo was invented. Last week it threatened to become famous militarily as the place where the Allies’ Burma campaign of 1943-44 came to a bad end.

Crossing the Chin and Naga Hills, three Japanese columns of uncertain strength were converging on Imphal, which lies just a little to the east of the lateral railroad that extends 250 miles to Ledo—the supply route for General Stilwell’s forces advancing into northern Burma and for the goods that are shipped over the Hump by air to China. If the Japanese should take Imphal—last week they were only 30 miles away—they would be within reach of the railroad through which flow the supplies for both Stilwell and China.

Admiral Mountbatten could not laugh at the threat. He had to hustle.

The big question last week was: How big is the threat?

One day General Sir Claude Auchin-leck told the Indian Parliament that the Japs were attacking in considerable strength. Same day Admiral Mountbatten said the attackers were only “raiding parties.” Pundits everywhere were stumped. Said one U.S. radio commentator: “This looks serious.” A columnist: “Professional military men . . . are not fretting over some gains in those border mountains.” Republican Congresswoman Jessie Sumner (who wants to abandon the war in Europe, make MacArthur supreme anti-Japanese commander) said “military authorities” had told her that many U.S. troops had no guns to fight the Japs at Imphal (where there are no U.S. troops).

The Hindustan Times complained that Southeast Asiatic Commander Mountbatten’s communiques were obscure. Retorted an official spokesman: “No more obscure than the military situation.”

Objectives. In their drive across the Indian border’s mountains the Japanese might intend: 1) to cut the railroad and collapse the Allied offensive in North Burma and cut off supplies from China; 2) to start a political offensive without attempting any serious military venture.

The last was already afoot. Tokyo radio hammered harder than ever at India: “Come over to our side. . . . You have nothing to fear from the Japanese.” Indian Traitor Subhas Chandra Bose, leading “several divisions” of traitorous Indian troops across the border, was said to have helped “annihilate . . . several British divisions.” But even without believing these preposterous claims, Indians could well be impressed by the fact that except for raids by Afghan tribesmen India had actually been invaded for the first time since the Raj took over (in 1858).