U.S. FORCES ON GUADALCANAR

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23845, 14 January 1943, Page 3

U.S. FORCES ON GUADALCANAR

EARLY OFFENSIVE PREDICTED

IMPROVEMENT OP POSITIONS

(Special Australian Corresp., N.Z.P.A.) (Rec. 10.30 p.m.) SYDNEY, Jan. 13. There is no fresh news of Japanese war shipping movements in the south Pacific, but it is reported that the American troops on Guadalcanar have consolidated and improved their positions to such an extent that the 20,000 enemy troops cornered on the island will starve if their * warships are unable to break the Allied blockade. American reinforcement convoys have been arriving at Guadalcanar at the rate of almost one each week, and an early offensive against the trapped Japanese is predicted. United States air raids in the Solomons, principally against Munda. on New Georgia Island, have inflicted considerable damage on points where Japanese relief forces are believed to be massing. The Washington correspondent of the “New York Times’’ says that it is not revealed whether the damage at Munda is sufficient to upset enemy plans for a drive in force against the Allied positions in the south Pacific. The Americans on Guadalcanar now hold a strip of coastline 18 miles long and four to five miles deep—almost double the area held two months ago. This puts the Henderson airfield out of range of Japanese artillery and minimises the risk of a surprise attack.

A United States Navy communique states: “A force of Dauntless divebombers, escorted by Wildcat fighters, was attacked on Monday by 12 Japanese Zeros between Isabel and New Georgia Islands. Four Zeros were shot down and two others were possibly destroyed. One Wildcat failed to return. "A force of Marauder medium bombers escorted by Airacobras attacked Japanese positions at Munda, in New Georgia. Clouds over the target areas prevented accurate bombing, and observation of the results was difficult.” MORE POTATOES AND LESS BREAD APPEAL BY BRITISH FOOD MINISTER (8.0. W.) RUGBY, Jan. 12. The Minister of Food (Lord Woolton) to-night appealed to the people of Britain to use more potatoes and less bread. He said he had considered rationing bread, and had a scheme ready in case it should be required, but he hoped it would not be necessary. “The U-boat campaign has not succeeded in bringing us, as the Germans believed it would, to the verge of starvation,” said Lord Woolton. He explained that half of the men bringing supplies to Britain from overseas were bringing food supplies, and that half of those supplies consisted of wheat. If unnecessary consumption of wheat could be reduced without loss of health and vigour there would be a saving of ships. Bread could continue unrationed if the public used it with an understanding of all the factors lying behind the consumption of bread and the use of ships. “A real egg for you this month” was a newspaper headline announcing the first release of eggs for 1943, says ■'the special correspondent of the New Zealand Press Association. Fresh eggs are now such a rarity that they are called “shell eggs” to distinguish them from dried eggs. American and Canadian sardines are an innovation in the English diet, and 20,000,000 tins have been released. The cheese ration has been reduced to six ounces from eight. Britain is eating more potatoes, consumption of which rose in England-by 12.8 in Wales, and 2.2 per cent, in Scotland.

To ' check an increase in the £3,000,000 subsidy paid on tea, the price of tea will shortly be raised 4d per lb over the present retail prices ranging from 2s 6d to 3s per lb. Food subsidies are costing the Government £127,000,000 a year.

Since the outbreak of war the weekly wages of all workers have risen on an average by 66 per cent, and, compared with 1941, more women are engaged in professional occupations. A complaint made by women is that they receive unequal compensation for war injury compared with that received by men. Consideration of the women’s viewpoint is now being given by a select committee of the House of Commons. HOARDING OF SMALL COINS SERIOUS DIFFICULTIES IN INDIA NEW DELHI, Jan. U. The hoarding of small coins in the hope of releasing them later at a profit has caused serious difficulties in India in the last few months. Some stores have tried to meet the position by giving customers postage stamps instead of small change. Tram conductors have given lOU slips. It is officially announced that under new regulations hoarders will be tried before the Courts on summary jurisdiction in order to secure speedy puifr ishment. Rewards are being granted to those on whose information hoarders are convicted. It is also stated’ that in areas where hoarders were prosecuted small change had begun immediately to circulate freely.