BrP. M, fsasc Since the dawn of history to the present day, the part played by highways of trans port and communications has been of great importance in the commercial and political history of nations, Tt has therefore been the policy of every progressive nation of the World to Improve and develop the systems of transport and communications not only within national boundaries but also with other countries of the world, Tu recent years, probably, no other highway in Asia was so much in the limelight as the all-weather road from Lashio to Yunnan which was opened to traffic on November 10. The unusual interest in this highway has been particularly due to the present hosilites between China and Japan and the fall of eastern and. southern. Chinese ports. into Japanese hands paralyzing China's foreign trade carried through these.ports.
The majority of the vernacular press. in Burma have been greatly averse to the opening of this highway. This antagonisti altitude of the Burmese press is nothing! strange in view of the fact that for the last few years there has been a growing tendency fon their part to carry on a pro-Japanese propaganda. The arguments against this now road, from the standpoint of the! Burmese press, can be mainly summed up Into two, First of al, they fear that a large number of immigrants from China will rush {into Burma the moment this road provides facilities for regular traffe and would serious~ ly compete with the nationals here. 'The Government of Burma has met this argu ment by stating unequivocally that, if ever such a tendency for' immigration were to arise, necessary stops would be immediately taken to put a stop to it. The second argument against this road is the fear that Burma would unnecessarily involve herself in the Sino-Japanese conflict and that she would expose "herself to aerial attack if large quanititios of arms and ammunition were to pass through her territories.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.