JAPANESE AS ENEMIES

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23847, 16 January 1943, Page 5

JAPANESE AS ENEMIES

TENACITY AND FANATICISM

EFFECT ON PACIFIC STRATEGY

(Special Australian Corresp,, N.Z.P.A.) tßec. 10.45 p.m.) SYDNEY, Jan. 15. “The repetition of such campaigns of extermination as a means of defeating Japan presents prospects that can scarcely be contemplated.” “The Times” (London) makes this comment in a leading article, considering Pacific war problems as revealed in battle for Papua. The fanaticism of an enemy who in every surrounded and untenable position fights until the last man is killed is being viewed increasingly as an insuperable obstacle to the allout prosecution of an island-hopping strategy in the war against Japan. The difficulties involved in defeating Japan are occupying growing attention. “The Times” supports the Australian belief that island warfare should be continued until the Japanese hold on menacing harbours and airfields is looisened sufficiently to secure the United States south Pacific supply route, but

“The Times” also declares: "The grand strategical decision of the war must be sought by striking direct blows at the core of the enemy’s power—Japan itself. The goal may be reached without the piecemeal destruction of Japanese island garrisons, which could be by-passed by the use of overwhelming seapower. This, however, requires command of naval bases much nearer than any at present in Allied hands.” Parallel views are expressed editorially to-day by the “Sydney Morning Herald,” which urges the prosecution of the island war until the Rabaul naval base is taken. “The Japanese, although they are gathering powerful forces in the south Pacific, may be loath to fight major sea actions,” it says. “But Rabaul and command of the adjacent waters are vital to them. If Rabaul were lost their outer defensive ring would be definitely pierced. Their great central Pacific base. Truk, would be exposed to air bombardment. The struggles in Papua and Guadalcanal’ are seen as forerunners of great sea. air, and land battles which will decide the mastery of the south Pacific.” Many Strongholds

The “Sydney Morning Herald” expresses a warning that a tremendous fight is involved before Rabaul can be taken. "Australians have been brought to a sobering realisation of what will be invodved in driving the Japanese from the islands into which they swarmed so easily last year. New Guinea itself is a huge island, and no more than a beginning has been made with the task of evicting the Japanese. Although it is officially given out that only ‘fragmentary’ reinforcements were got ashore from the recent convoy to Lae, it is safest to assume from the magnitude of the enemy enterprise that the garrison there has been strengthened by some thousands of men. And Lae is only one of the Japanese strongholds. “While a new enemy offensive move cannot be ruled out, the Japanese are now probably mainly concerned with covering the approaches to RabauJ by strengthening their positions in New Guinea and the northern Solomons.” A correspondent of “The Times” at Allied Headquarters in India emphasises that all Japan’s moves must be governed by the long-term consideration of husbanding her shipping resources. He suggests that recent writings of her experts carry a tacit admission that Japan requires at least 20.000.000 tons of shipping to construct and develop her “prosperity sphere”— which is another way .of telling the Japanese people that they cannot hope fullv to exploit their conquests. A* recent fortnight’s bombing attacks on Rabaul cost the enemy 150,000 tons of shipping, representing about a quarter of Japan’s annual building capacity. This realisation of Japan’s vulnerability in her shipping artery has been an important reason prompting Australian insistence on the need for increased air striking power in the south Pacific. An Allied offensive directed towards Rabaul would force the enemy to continue to jeopardise irreplaceable shipping resources, and its success would secure a naval base from which to move the sea war closer to Japan. Such an offensive against Rabaul. “The Times” suggests, must be co-ordinated with the reopening of Chinese communications to India. These last plans would also have the object of bringing the Japanese army in Manchuria into battle, and of penetrating positions on the east coast of Asia, from which to menace Japan itself.

GALLANTRY IN NEW GUINEA

AWARD OF V.C. TO AUSTRALIAN

MACHINE-GUN NESTS SILENCED CANBERRA, Jan, Hi. The first Victoria Cross won in the New Guinea campaign has been awarded posthumously to Corporal John Alexander French, of Queensland. At Milne Bay in September, Corporal French, single-handed, wiped out the crews of three enemy machine-gun posts, but he was killed in completing the exploit. The award has been announced by the Governor-General (Lord Gowrie). The citation stales that when an attacking Australian infantry section led by Corporal French encountered a terrific fire from three enemy machinegun posts, Corporal French advanced and silenced one of the posts with grenades. He returned for more grenades and then went and silenced a second post. Armed with a tommy-gun he finally attacked the third “post, firing from the hip as he went forward. Although badly wounded, he continued to advance. The enemy gun ceased firing and when Corporal 'French’s section went forward it was found that all the members of the three enemy gun crews had been killed and Corporal French had died in front of the third gunpit. ‘■By his cool courage and disregard for personal safety, this non-co'mmis-sioned officer saved the members of his own section from heavy casualties and was responsible for the attack being successfully concluded,” the citation staled.

Corporal French left Australia on May 19, 1940. and served in England and the Middle East. He was for five months a “Tobruk Rat.” He returned to Australia last May and went to New Guinea- in August. His is the second Victoria Cross won in the war against Japan. The first was won by Lieutenant-Colonel Anderson in Malaya.

Chinese Ambassador to Moscow.— The former Chinese Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs (Mr P. S. Foot has been appointed Chinese Ambassador to Moscow.—London, January 14.