FIGHTING THE WAR

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 164, 13 July 1945, Page 7

FIGHTING THE WAR

NEW ZEALAND'S PART

U.S. ADMIRAL'S VIEWS

"It is the opinion of all highlyplaced military commanders that the successful termination of the war against Japan will involve very heavy military and naval commitments for an unpredictable length of time," said Rear-Admiral Paul Hendren, U.S.N. Commander of the Service Squadron of the South Pacific Force, United States Pacific Fleet, in an interview yesterday. Rear-Admiral Hendren, who has been having important supply conferences in New Zealand, will leave for his headquarters within the next few days.

In view of the situation in the Pacific, said Rear-Admiral Hendren, New Zealand's war efforts would continue to be of absolutely vital importance until Japan surrendered unconditionally. He expressed his appreciation and admiration of the material assistance in the prosecution of the war against Japan rendered by the New Zealand Government and the people, both in combat operations and in the production of vast quantities of highly-essential food, clothing, footwear and other supplies. He also referred to the effective support rendered by the Royal New Zealand Air Force and the important contribution made in the form of ship repair facilities.

The end of the war in Europe, said Rear-Admiral Hendren, had not eased the shipping situation in the Pacific. This was due to the shipping required to re-deploy troops and materials from the European theatre to the Pacific theatre, the necessity of shipping food to liberated' Europe and to the troops in occupied Europe, the abnormal demands on shipping in the Pacific as a result of the accelerated pace of the war and the lengthening lines of supply there. One of the methods of easing the shipping situation was to effect the quickest possible turn-round of ships coming to New Zealand to lift food cargoes for the forces in the Pacific area. Both the New Zealand Government officers and the executives of the Waterside Workers' Unions, said Rear-Admiral Hendren, had expressed the desire to cooperate to the fullest extent to prevent any delays in this respect.

Rear-Admiral Hendren, who graduated from the United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, in 1913, has many decorations for his service in the war against Germany, including the Legion of Merit for the invasion of Sicily, the Gold Star in place of a second Legion of Merit for operations on the north coast of Sicily, and the Oak Leaf Cluster in place of a third Legion of Merit for operations off Salerno. He was also awarded the Distinguished Service Order by the British Admiralty. He was promoted to his present rank last September after active duty in the Atlantic and Mediterranean.