The Pittsburgh Press (May 13, 1943)
Churchill-Roosevelt talks hint Burma push next fall
Drive would open road to China; Prime Minister to address House, Senate next Wednesday
By Merriman Smith, United Press staff writer
Washington –
President Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill today continued their White House conferences, believed to center on plans for a major fall offensive to drive the Japs out of Burma and open the way to China, and then to Japan.
Plans were disclosed for two speeches by Mr. Churchill while he is in Washington. Next Wednesday, the White House revealed, he will address a joint session of Congress. Tomorrow afternoon – on the occasion of the anniversary of the British Home Guards – he will broadcast to his homeland a speech designed almost entirely for British consumption.
Meeting postponed
Mr. Roosevelt devoted virtually his entire attention to his distinguished guest, scheduling only one other caller for the entire day.
The White House announced that the Pacific War Council had been called to meet at noon, but a half-hour later, it said the meeting had been postponed until next week. No explanation was advanced, but it was believed likely that some members of the council had found themselves unable to attend at this time. Another possibility was that Mr. Roosevelt and Mr. Churchill did not believe their plans were sufficiently well-defined for presentation to the Council.
Talk with Beneš
House Speaker Sam Rayburn saw Mr. Churchill this morning at the white House. The Prime Minister accepted his invitation to address Congress next Wednesday at about 12:30 p.m. ET. The speech will probably be broadcast throughout the world.
Both Mr. Roosevelt and Mr. Churchill talked this morning with President Edvard Beneš of Czechoslovakia, who was an overnight White House guest.
Plans for a fall offensive in Burma would not preclude strong blows against Jap forces before that time. There was increasing belief here that these blows would be struck in the very near future, especially in the Aleutians.
The signs pointed to Burma as the scene of the first major land operation against Japan because it is the logical way to open the route to China and then get at the Jap homeland. Such a campaign could not be started before fall because the monsoons with their torrential rains have begun and mechanized transport will be virtually impossible through the mushy jungles during the summer.
As the President and Mr. Churchill conferred almost certainly at the White House, U.S. and British sources here generally agreed that Japan is the point of emphasis in the present talks. And now is the time to plan for a Burma offensive, because it takes about six months to effectuate plans for big military operations.
The fact that London dispatches continue to emphasize the coming European offensives as the major point in discussion was explained here as reflecting the preoccupation of people in the British Isles with battles in their own arena.
Face logistics
The belief that Mr. Roosevelt and Mr. Churchill were looking six months ahead to a strong push through Burma made sense to a number of military experts here. The master strategists of the Allied cause plotted the November invasion of North Africa last June.
In plotting the defeat of Japan, Mr. Roosevelt, Mr. Churchill and their military advisers were up against a collection of very knotty problems of logistics.
Without control of Burma, the problem of getting new equipment to China in volume is almost impossible. Mr. Roosevelt has been in frequent conference recently with Chinese Foreign Minister T. V. Soong, who will probably talk with the President and the Prime Minister during some of the current planning conferences.
Wavell in party
Indication that the present Roosevelt-Churchill talks would include the Far East came yesterday with disclosure that accompanying Mr. Churchill were his top men from India, including Field Marshal Sir Archibald P. Wavell, commanding British forces in India.
There was no idea, however, that the conferences in any sense would be confined to the Pacific. In fact, Messrs. Roosevelt and Churchill are probably taking a last look at plans for invasions of Europe, plans which were formulated at Casablanca last January.
The presence of Marshal Wavell, Adm. Sir James Somerville, commander of British naval forces in the Bay of Bengal, and Air Mshl. Sir Richard Peirse, commander-in-chief of British forces in India, aroused some curiosity as to why Gen. Douglas MacArthur, the supreme commander of Allied forces in the Southwest Pacific, was not here.
Names withheld
Thus far in the conferences no announcement has been made on U.S. armed services chiefs who are in consultation with the British staff chiefs. It was generally accepted, however, that the American conferees include Gen. George C. Marshall (Army Chief of Staff), Adm. Ernest J. King (Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Fleet), Adm. William D. Leahy (Chief of Staff to the Commander-in-Chief), Gen. H. H. Arnold (commander of the Army Air Forces) and a host of other high-ranking generals and admirals.
It was believed the two ranking U.S. commanders in the Burma-China-India Theater of war would participate too. Lt. Gen. Joseph W. Stilwell, commander of all U.S. forces in that theater, and Maj. Gen. Claire L. Chennault, commanding the 14th Air Force in China, are here and have been principal figures in a recent series of important war conferences.
Premier of Canada to attend parley
Ottawa, Canada (UP) –
Announcement by Prime Minister W. L. Mackenzie King that he will take part in the conferences between Prime Minister Churchill and President Roosevelt in Washington next week, gave rise to speculation today that the discussions may result in greater participation in the war effort by Canada and her armed forces.
Mr. King disclosed in the House of Commons yesterday that he will go to Washington early next week for the discussions. He told Parliament that Mr. Churchill would be unable to visit the Dominion before returning to Britain.
Mr. King’s participation in the conference may also be the result of suggestions in the House of commons that Canada be given greater representation in United Nations war panels.
Several members pointed out that the Dominion is constantly increasing production of war munitions and supplies and that its representation at the conferences should be enhanced accordingly.