CORRESPONDENTS' VIEWS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 33, 9 February 1943, Page 2

CORRESPONDENTS' VIEWS

FUTURE OP THE N.Z.E.F. To the Editor. Your leading article concerning the return of the N.Z.E.F. is astonishing, and your criticism of Mr. Holland is also surprising and rather unjust. To recall our. men at this juncture or at any future time while their task is unfinished would be an act of crass folly. If our Government has exceeded its ability in manpower commitments, possibly in an endeavour to gloss over its record in the 1914-18 war and to gain kudos from the gallantry of our fighting forces, the remedy does not lie in recalling our splendid Division from the Middle East. Our first duty is to keep its strength fully maintained in the theatre of war where it is most useful. It will do more to bring about the ' defeat of Japan there than if it is shunted about from place to place for political purposes. The downfall of Japan will be brought about by defeat on the sea, and until the Axis Powers in Europe are overcome and British and American sea forces are released in overwhelming numbers we shall not be in a position to sweep the Japs from the Pacific. When that is accomplished all the lands that they have occupied will fall into the hands of the Allies like ripe plums and all their overseas developments will go for nothing. In the meantime a continued strong defensiveoffensive policy is the only sensible one in the Pacific. The above reasons should demonstrate the folly of- a withdrawal of our force from the place where victory in all theatres will b<§ first brought about. If any curtailment of our manpower commitments is necessary it must be elsewhere, and it is up to those responsible for the blunder to find a remedy. W.M.

The contention originally made by the Auckland Star was that after the completion of the North African campaign New Zealand's Division in the Middle East should be transferred to the Pacific theatre of war, and that it should be transferred not for "political" reasons, but for military reasons. Those who assert that the Dominion is "over-committed," and refuse to consider the advisability of transferring the Middle East, Division, have a duty to ss)y how the over-commitment should be reduced. Our correspondent fails to discharge that duty. We do not share his faith that when Germany has been defeated the lands the Japanese have occupied "will fall into the hands of the Allies like ripe plums"; we apprehend that .that notion will prove the greatest delusion of the war.—Ed.)