CRITICISM REFUTED

Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 62, 14 March 1944, Page 6

CRITICISM REFUTED

Charges Against Australian Command In New Guinea REPLY FROM MR. CURTIN Rec. 3 p.m. CANBERRA, this day. Statements toy Sir Earle Page, a member of the Commonwealth War Advisory Council, on the alleged lack of co-ordination in the Australian Army Department, were unsound and misleading, said the Prime Minister, Mr. Curtin.

Sir Earle Page, Who was appointed to the Australian Advisory War Council three weeks ago, criticised the High Command for the conduct of the Kokoda Trail and the BunaGona campaigns in New Guinea. He said that, the Allies had suffered heavy casualties because of faulty tactics.

Mr. Curtin replied that such an opinion was not based on a complete knowledge of the facts. In no campaign in this war had there been such an unbroken run of successes for so little cost as in New Guinea. The Prime Minister said he had nothing to add to his recent statement in Parliament on the satisfaction of the Government with the organisation of the higher command and the maner in which General Blarney had discharged the duty of Commander-in-Chief.

JAP. ISLANDS BOMBED

WAKE, NAURU AND MARSHALLS

Rec. 3 p.m. WASHINGTON, Mar. 13

Keeping up their pounding of Japanese Pacific bases, American bombers attacked Wake and Nauru Islands and the eastern Marshalls. A Pacific Fleet communique says that Liberators attacked Wake Island on Saturday afternoon, dropping approximately 50 tons of bombs. A small force of Liberators attacked Nauru.

Mitchells and Venturas bombed three bases in the eastern Marshal's. No fighter interception was encountered in any attacks, and all planes returned.