ALLIES’ GRAND STRATEGY

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 24021, 9 August 1943, Page 4

ALLIES’ GRAND STRATEGY

EUROPE AND PACIFIC EXPLOITING RUSSIA’S MANPOWER (Rec. 10.30 p.m.). WASHINGTON. Aug. 8. “Allied grand strategy in Europe and the Pacific is to enhance Russia's effort, against Germany and keep China iri the war,” said Admiral E. J. King, the Commander-in-Chief of the United** States Fleet, at a press conference on the occasion of the anniversary of the invasion of the Solomons. “Boiled down to the simplest terms our strategy in Europe is that Russia has the geographical position and manpower paramount with regard to Germany. . “To take advantage of that basic fact we must implement Russia’s manpower and exploit her position. Furthermore the Allies are bound to exert every possible effort to divert German forces from the Russian front. “In the Pacific China’s position to Japan is analogous to Russia’s position to Germany. The Allies are following a concerted plan of operations to put increasing pressure on Japanese communications and capture strategic positions from which to give the Japanese more trouble. •As we go along, however, we realise that China’s geographical position and manpower are the determining factors in the war against Japan. It is too apparent what the difficulties are in getting supplies to China. Therefore one of the most important things is to keep China in the war. You can imagine what the situation would ha if China was out of the war. “In military parlance no eccentric operations are being undertaken in the Pacific. Eccentric means ‘an operation which looks attractive but is really off the main line of effort.’ There was nothing eccentric about the Guadal-, canar operation. It had a very definite purpose—to secure our supply lines to Australia which was then threatened with invasion. If we haa not acted promptly we would simpiy have allowed trouble to pile up for us. “Things have gone rather slowly m the south and south-west Pacific. That was due to lack of means. _ We have now reached a situation in whicn General Mac Arthur is co-ordinating tne advance in the Solomons with the advance in New Guinea.”