STRUGGLE FOR JAVA

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23580, 6 March 1942, Page 5

STRUGGLE FOR JAVA

View of Australian Correspondent

“TWO WEEKS AT

MOST ”

(Received March 5, 11.30 p.m.) SYDNEY. March 5. “1 give Java two weeks of life at most." says Mr Tom Fairhall, war correspondent of the Sydney "Daily Telegraph," who lias returned to Sydney. He declared: "The Dutch will light on (o the end. They may be able tn retreat to iho hills and turn parts of the country into a ‘little Philippines.' Their grand airmen will fly (heir obsolete aeroplanes until they cannot take them off the ground. "The Allied command in J iva achieved little. According to Dr. van Mock. Lieutenant-Govcrnr-General of the Indies, a complicated command vap superimposed on the Dutch. Ho said it impeded the Dutch defence. Even after Singapore fell there did not seem to be a determined effort to push British troops into the Indies. "The Japanese success was due to the deadly simplicity of their tactics, their common sense, and their leadership. Vvc were outfought because of our red tape and blundering, scarcity of air power, lack of an offensive spirit, “and a native fifth column. Unlike the .“Lvapanr-; -e wo showed lithe imagination. y. v 1 le troops properly trained in jungle Y .i,dam mind’i IA,. :: ; ;ers. but roin-

foiTfnu'ist--- rent ?*a*nyr’. had no* bi'-n. (rained .iiim>!c t-. ■■Tuque. "I heard 1; v.-<- had '.’TO aeroplanes in Maiavu vhetv- vV .;r broke out. I oftei; he.-’--: : •' lactic-: severely critjci.-c-ri. T don't think atv squadron fought the .Inorme'- ;v- nn in'art squadron, Thev ' ”!■■' jf:!' un two and th’-ee at a iirr." .-'"Din;■ ■ sk-o Jape pose bemberr p” •-•ete*- 1 :v, e-ver--. They didn't have ••> her* - . Th" Japanese cnnc'-ntr--'--- ■' • a ■ vd bombed O'”; ; ,■ <-■ i' I" n 1 1' "The j nk!P2 pf the C- - nee e; v.’aieanci thp Rep:;’r„ we-- 3 perfect rpnp!' l of nuv air a,id ;■ nt : -a''.V'f‘ s'renit'’l. There \v e; o i-m’”- hj : ■h - "’” 1 e enti-eir-craft ”11 n- .v. "-e PD-ee " f W«<s than in thr who or- r ‘The .Tapnne- ■ bumbrnc • '' : ’od Their bomber- .re beau'ios. Thoir anti-personne' bombs arc Uut’Tc They hind and bur-1 ('••wtnvt’vd 1 bov wil! set you if you ;vv Tiny hat on the ground or even : a tb, 'lev trench"

JAPANESE ESPIONAGE IN CHILE (Beech ed March 5. 7 p.m.) SANTIAGO. March 4. •to* newspaper “Cntica ’ reports •t-?t a. powerful' Japanese espionage network operating in Chile has estab-

hr her! a short-wave radio station which transmit; weather conditions and other information for the use of the Japanese navy and air force.