VISIT TO WHITE HOUSE

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23587, 14 March 1942, Page 7

VISIT TO WHITE HOUSE

Australian Appeal

Indicated

PREDICTIONS OF AIR BATTLE

(Received March 13. 8.30 p.m.)

(U.P.A.) WASHINGTON, March 12. Responsible officials a f Washington regard a visit by the Australian Minister (Mr R. G. Casey) to. the White House as a sign that the Australian Prime Minister (Mr J. Curtin) has ■again appealed for help against the Japanese, whose sensational advances now threaten to drive between Australia and the United States by the occupation of at least parts of the Australian mainland. The urgency of Mr Curtin’s message obviously was recognised at the White House since, immediately after talking to the President, Mr Casey was received at the War and Navy Departments for further consultation on the same subject. The critical problem appears in high circles here to be whether the Japanese can be blocked from the occupation of New Guinea and Northern Australian points, which would be useful as bases for a counter-offensive against Japan. By such occupation, Japan could split Australia apart from the United States as far as any effective counter-attack is concerned.

A survey in several responsible quarters here disclosed little expectation that Japan would occupy in the near future the populous parts of Australia, but the almost universal expectation is that the Japanese will attempt landings in the north territories. One of the high sources represented Mr Roosevelt as confident that Australia could hold enough territory to remain an effective base for copnteroperations by forces of both nations. But another source said: “Whether Australia holds out or not depends entirely on the Australians themselves. We are going to help all we can, but the main job is theirs on their territory.”

This source conceded that the Australians were making energetic preparations. but declined to prophesy the result.

The same source and others gave the impression that the Battle of Australia will be comparable with the Battle of Britain in September, 1940. when a few pilots saved England, and to the Battle of Moscow last November, which the Russians won by straining to the utmost.

In other words, the opinion here is that Australian shores may be the zenith of Axis gains in the Pacific as were the English cities and Moscow suburbs in Europe provided there is the same desperate defence. Favourable factors are the extended Japanese lines and the shortened Australian and United States lines.

PEARL HARBOUR WARNINGS

INFORMATION TWICE IGNORED (Received March 13, 11.30 p.m.)

WASHINGTON, March 12,

The Under-Secretary of War (Mr R. P. Patterson) presented the Distinguished Service Medal to Staff-Ser-geant Joseph Lockard. Staff-Sergeant Lockard had gained permission to practise the operation of radio locator device at Honolulu, and was so working when he detected the approach of a large flight of hostile aeroplanes on December 7. He. twice informed his superior officer, but the warning was twice disregarded. Finally, a lieutenant told him to “turn the thing off.” With, in an hour the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour occurred.

JAPANS METAL RESERVES

Pre-War Imports From U.S.

2,026,000 TONS OF SCRAP IN 1939 (Received March 13, 9 p.m.) WASHINGTON, March 12.

Mr Edwin Barringer, president of the Institute of Scrap Iron and Steel, told the Military Affairs Committee of the United States House of Representatives to-day that imports before the war from the United States had enabled Japan to build up a reserve of iron and steel scrap of approximately 10,000,000 tons, probably sufficient to keep all the Japanese plants at peak production for a full year. Mr Barringer said the United States in 1939 exported to Japan 45,000,000 dollars’ worth of petroleum products, and 56,000,000 dollars’ worth of raw cotton. The gross tonnage of scrap exported to Japan increased from 1 381,000 tons in 1938 to 2,026,000 tons in 1939.

FIERCE BATTLE . IN CHINA

JAPANESE LANDING ON CHEKIANG COAST (Received March 13, 10.50 p.m.) CHUNGKING. March 12, An official Chinese dispatch reports furious battles against the Japanese in the Shantung province and at the Siangshan harbour in the Chekiang province. The Japanese landed great forces on the Chekiang coast. A severe engagement has been raging for two days in the sector south of Hangchow In an address to the Canadian Club at Washington, the Chinese Ambassador, Dr. Hu Shih, said he was absolutely certain India would enter the war against the Axis. China’s successful resistance against Japan should reassure the Allies, and should prove it was possible to stop thg Japanese forces, “but it is noteworthy that since the outbreak of the Chinese-Japanese war the Japanese have never encircled or entrapped any Chinese force, nor has any Chinese army ever surrendered.” Speaking at a special session of the Japanese Diet, held to celebrate the conquest of the Netherland East Indies, the Prime Minister (General Tojoi said Britain and the United States, who had underrated the national strength of Japan, refused to satisfy the claims to which she was entitled, forcing Japan into open hostilities. The main fleet of the United States and Britain had already disappeared from the surface of the Pacific, and all enemy strongholds in the south-west Pacific were in Japanese hands. Japan must continue her military operations, smash the United States and Britain, and establish a new order in Greater Asia. He said China’s communications with the United States and Britain were cut when Rangoon fell. The Chungking regime was completely isolated. The United States and Britain could give Chungking only worthless gold, for which the Chinese people would sacrifice flesh and blood.