COMING EVENTS CAST SOLOMONS SHADOWS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 239, 9 October 1942, Page 3

COMING EVENTS CAST SOLOMONS SHADOWS

BIG BID EXPECTED

American Forces Believed Seriously Menaced

United Press Association—Copyright Rec. 1.30 p.m. NEW YORK, Oct. 8. The shadow of coming events in the Solomons seems clear, says the New York Times. The Japanese willingness to risk a heavy cruiser squadron and destroyers to land a few more troops on Guadalcanar leaves no doubt that they intend to attempt to recapture the airfield.

Japan is in a desperate hurry and a crucial struggle seems approaching, says the paper.

With the growing belief that the Japanese may have withdrawn at least part of their New Guinea strength to throw into the battle for the Solomons, Australian interest has turned again to this latter phase of South Pacific war, states the special Australian correspondent of the Press Association. It is considered in Australia, he says, that a Japanese success in their Solomons objectives would be a prelude to renewed and stronger enemy efforts to take Port Moresby.

Unofficial opinion is that the American positions in the Solomons are more seriously menaced than at any time since the American marines landed on August 7. This estimate is based largely on the fact that the Japanese can still make landings on Guadalcanar despite United States air control. When the Japanese have finally concentrated all their parties into one force, a mass assault can be expected.

Major Battle Looming

The American Hearst Press flatly declares that it has information that a major battle is looming for Guadalcanar airfield, and that the outcome of the whole of the Solomons campaign depends on American ability to hold this spot.

William Simms, foreign editor of the Scripps Howard Press, says that the Japanese in the Solomons must either fight back now or capitulate. Although Japan has lost more than 230 planes in the Solomons in two months, she seems to be determined to ignore the cost and to build up a land force strong enough for a major offensive to win back Guadalcanar airfield.

An explanation of the slowness of the American progress in the Solomons is given by the New York Times correspondent with the Pacific fleet, Foster Hailey, who says that the marines "have been fighting a sort of warfare where every enemy must be killed to achieve final victory. The Japanese in the Solomons have followed the law of the claw fang."

Violating All Rules of War

The correspondent tells stories of violation of all rules of war and humanity on Guadalcanar and Tulagi where United States Marine stretcherbearers going out to pick up Japanese have been torn apart by grenades thrown by the very men whose pain they would ease.

When the Americans first landed they encountered comparatively little opposition and were surprised by the Japanese taking to the hills. As hunger gripped them some emerged to surrender. Several came in by threes wjth their hands in the air. When within range the middle man dropped to the ground, revealing a machine-gun strapped to his back and operated by the other two to kill the men who allowed them to approach

On another occasion a Japanese officer told the marines that his men were wounded and sick and wanted to surrender. An American officer and a detail returned with the Japanese officers to accept the surrender, but treacherous cross-fire from the jungle killed all the Americans, but two, who were badly wounded and got back to tell the story.

One day a marine truck ran into a palm tree, sending Japanese occupants of the branches tumbling down. Thereafter the enemy soldiers tied themselves into the trees.