Estimate of Japanese Situation Note by Sec. Covering reply to Fender 30.

available. If the Americans, however, when faced by this latest evidence in paragraph 3, still cannot accept the British view, we would be prepared to accept the following wording in order to avoid a split paper:6. "The continued possession of Malaya/Sumatra, the Andamans and Nikobars, offers a strong western defence line to the Japanese, for the protection of their vital lines of communication to the East Indies. Japan has already deployed there ground forces which she considers sufficiently strong to meet any present threat to the area adequate.