OPINIONS DIFFER

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 74, 29 March 1943, Page 3

OPINIONS DIFFER

PACIFIC STRATEGY

Mr. Menzies Supports "Beat Hitler First" Policy N.Z.P.A. Special Correspondent Rec. 10 a.m. SYDNEY, this day. Support for the "beat Hitler first" strategy by Mr. R. G. Menzies, former Prime Minister of Australia and at present a member of the Australian War Council, is reported to have aroused resentment in Federal political circles. His views, expressed in an article published in the Manchester Guardian, are stated to conflict with those of the Curtin Government and other Opposition members of the War Council. "The battle of the Atlantic is the most crucial battle of the war," wrote Mr. Menzies, "but -Australians, are naturally conscious of the great importance and urgency of added air strength in the Pacific. They feel strongly that the output of a week or two of Allied production would be a relatively small subtraction from Europe, but a powerful addition to the South-west Pacific. In their hearts, however, they realise that it' would be foolish to make a halfhearted effort in both spheres." .

The Manchester Guardian commenting editorially, accepted Mr. Menzies , article as "granting the argument that Germany must be defeated before the Allies turn in full strength to the relief of Australia. "This means there will be war m the Pacific possibly for another five years," writes the Sydney Daily Telegraph political correspondent. A few hundred more planes and a few hundred more ships in the Pacific now would, in the opinion of military experts, pave the. way for a blow at Japan's heart. Doubling our strength would not impair Allied strength anywhere. Mr. Menzies advocacy of a different policy is believed in official quarters to have prejudiced the chances of Lieuten-ant-General G. C. Kenney and the Minister of External Affairs, Dr. H. V. Evatt, of convincing Washington of South-west Pacific needs." U.S. Government Broadcast In an official United States Government broadcast .on Saturday night, Mr. Elmer Davis, head of the Office of War Information, admitted that the purpose of General Kenney s current visit to Washington was to seek more heavy bombers. But he offered little prospect of substantial reinforcements. . "They have done well in the boutnwest Pacific with what they have, said Mr. Davis, "but they iace an increasing concentration of enemy forces in the islands north of Australia. Even if the concentration is defensive, which seems probable, they could do with more bombers. But it is no easy matter to apportion the bombers. All the watf fronts are Ca M l efnwhile Tokyo radio is fighting retrospectively a smashingly successful war in the Southern Pacific. On Saturday night they broadcast an official Imperial Navy claim to have sunk a cruiser and damaged a 31,000ton battleship in the submarine raid on Sydney harbour on May 31, 1942. Actually, the sole damage inflicted on shipping in the harbour was the loss of an old ferry steamer of about 150 tons which was being used as a naval dormitory"Fantastic Claims"

Tokyo radio said that "explosions caused when the torpedo hit the stern of the battleship, which was of the Warspite class, could be heard for miles," and announced citations for great gallantry", to 10 officers of the special submarine flotilla which made the attack. Australia's Minister for Information Senator Ashley, commented that the Japanese claims were "fantastic." The facts were known to the world. "It is a good sign that the Japanese authorities feel, obliged to put out propaganda of this sort, he added. *'It shows that they are trying to reassure their people.