The Auckland Star WITH WHICH AND INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, The Echo and The Sun. MONDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1942. JAPANESE ALSO MAKE MISTAKES

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 235, 5 October 1942, Page 2

The Auckland Star WITH WHICH AND INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, The Echo and The Sun. MONDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1942. JAPANESE ALSO MAKE MISTAKES

JN' the fit .-t months ni Ihe Pacific war the Japanese succeeded in nearly ever.s thing I lie v attempted, and this fact made an impression on all our mind li made us inclined to think that there was some quality of me\ 1 1;11.11it y m their success, and this tendency was increased by their achievt incut nf objective—Singapore, above all—which we had been assured were beyond their capacity. Vet, as we can now see, there war; nothing ot the inevitable in their conquests except that which arose Imm their careful pi,inning and preparation in the days of peace, and Iron) our own under e t imat ion oi their strength. Knowing what they wanted tn do. and when and how they intended to do it, they had an immediate immense advantage over their chosen enemies, one of which was .-til! ~l peace, while the other was preoccupied with the war in bin ope Oi tin- advantage they have not been entirely deprived—nor can they he deprived ol it while their sea power remains formidable— hut n is ihivv ureal 1;, reduced. Already the question is not only, or mainly, What will the Japanese do next?" but "What will the Americans do nr 1 niand "lh vv long can the Japanese hold those positions, farthest Irom I heir bases, which they gained so easily?" And recent events reom tn indicate that although they are still very strong, they are not strong everywhere, and they have made the mistake of attempting too much.

The retreat of the Japanese in New Guinea succeeds an advance which seemed to many to have the quality of inevitability previously noted. Whatever may he its immediate purpose—and no doubt the Australians will before long encounter stiff resistance and their difficulties will steadily increase—-it. is quite certain that the retreat is not "according to plan.'' The Japanese did not make their remarkable progress over the Owen Stanley Range merely to give the Australians a fright. As they are retreating now, it. is probably because the Allied air attacks have made retreat necessary. But it is also possible that other factors have influenced them. The greatest danger, when they were advancing, was not that their land force would by itself succeed in capturing Port Moresby, but that its advance was intended to coincide with a sea-borne attack. If that danger was correctly apprehended it would now seem to have been greatly reduced. The Japanese, having already failed to establish themselves at. Milne Bay, have now failed in their initial attempt to approach Moresby from the north. These attempts, which have been expensive, would hardly have been made unless under a miscalculation of the strength or the spirit of the enemy. Even assuming a miscalculation, It is strange that the force now retreating was not given air support. For this the explanation probably is to be found in the Solomons. There, too, the Japanese seem to have miscalculated. Their heavy counter-attack last month was made in a manner which suggested their certainty of success; but the Americans took a very heavy toll, not only of the land force, but of Japanese planes. But the battle of the Solomons is not won. The Japanese retreat in New Guinea, and the lack of air support there, may indicate their realisation that they cannot succeed there and in the Solomons at the same time, and a decision to concentrate on the recapture of Guadalcanal