TWO OPTIONS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 34, 10 February 1943, Page 3

TWO OPTIONS

DEATH OR SURRENDER Small Isolated Jap. Groups Still In Jungle 3230 pan. WASHINGTON, Feb. 9. The Secretary for the Navy, Colonel Knox, in a statement to the Press, said to-day that all enemy resistance on Guadalcanar, the .largest island hi the Solomons, had ceased. At his Press conference Colonel Knox said the Navy Department's information partly confirmed the Japanese evacuation of Guadalcanar except for i a few small isolated groups which were taking refuge in the jungle and in valleys, where death or surrender are the only, alternatives.. Colonel Knox added: "This is apparently the end of our six months' campaign to gain control of the stategic island with the vastly important Henderson airfield. It has denied the enemy a base from which to raid the American communication lines with Australia and has placed the American forces within striking distance of some of the most important Japanese bases. "The story of the South-west Pacific would have been vastly different in the last few months if we had not established our forces in the Solomons," Colonel Knox said. He • added that information regarding sea and air engagements in the Solomons area assumed that preliminary plays were still going on, just as they have been since January 29. "I suspect it is possible that this naval and air activity might have been a demonstration covering the withdrawal of the Japanese from Guadalcanar," Colonel Knox said. He readily agreed that such reasoning was purely speculative. The enemy might well be planning some new naval blow. Asked if the enemy had much to withdraw, he replied: "No. When we were down there it was estimated that they had between 4000 and .6000 men on Guadalcanar."