MAJOR VICTORY EXPECTED

Press, Volume LXXX, Issue 24187, 21 February 1944, Page 5

MAJOR VICTORY EXPECTED

AMERICAN ATTACK ON TRUK REPORTS OF LANDINGS FALSE (N.Z. Press Association— Copyright) (Rec. 9 p.m.) NEW YORK, Feb. 19. The Americans are scoring a major victory at Truk. The Secretary of the United States Navy (Colonel Frank Knox) expressed this opinion at a press conference. “I think this attack was a victory, the full proportions of which will not be known until the need for radio silence is over,” he said. Colonel Knox said that he did not know whether the operation was concluded. Asked about Japanese reports of landings on Truk, Colonel Knox said that this was an air strike by carrierbased aeroplanes. The Japanese were broadcasting false claims of a lauding attempt for purely propaganda purposes. The latest Tokyo radio broadcasts make no mention of the American landing. One domestic broadcast said: “Regardless of whether the enemy intends to land or not. the war situation has increased with unprecedented seriousness.” The Tokyo radio stated earlier that Japanese imperial Headquarters had announced that Japanese Army and Navy units were engaged ii> fierce fighting with American concentrations at Truk, A Domei News Agency report quoted by the Tokyo radio staled; "Powerful mechanised units, as well as air power, are being used in Die American attack against Truk. Fighting with our troops is now going on. “Tiiis present attack is not the real tiling and il does not go beyond the scope of a strong reconnaissance. The main force of our invincible navy is biding its time until the very end and is co-ordinating it with supply difficulties' that will increase in proportion to Die distance of tfie enemy's advance. It is now looking for a golden opportunity to destroy the enemy at one stroke.” Colonel Knox said that the main significance of the Truk strike was the growing ability of United States sea power and air power to project its strength westward. “Our increasing fleet strength in both carriers and surface craft enables us to take the offensive and strike at the enemy at the time and place we select,” he added. “It is also significant that oqr sea power is not limited to certain areas. On the contrary, it is of such magnitude as to make itself felt from the Bering Sea down to Australia. Spearheaded by the fleet, we have been able to drive the enemy from the Aleutians, Die Gilberts, Kwajalein. and the entire Solomons, gaining bases for a drive deeper into enemy territory.” Colonel Knox said that in the last few months the United, States had been sinking four times as much enemy merchant tonnage as it was losing by enemy action. Furthermore the United States was building far more than it was losing. He revealed that ViceAdmiral R. A. Spruance is directing the general operation against Truk. Major Fielding Eliot, writing in the “New York Herald-Tribune,” says that Truk obviously is not a place which can be taken by a single overwhelming attack as were Tarawa and Kwajalein.

“An attempt to capture Truk would be preceded by an operation designed to cut off communications with Japan. Also it would require a considerably greater force and more extensive preparations, It rather seems that Admiral Nimitz was flinging Pearl Harbour back into the Japanese teeth and his real objective was the Japanese fleet. He may well have caught a good part of their fleet anchored inside the lagoon and done heavy and perhaps irreparable damage.” The correspondent of the Associated Press in Chungking states that the Chinese hailed the bold assault on Truk jubilantly and with a feeling akin to incredulity, since no one expected the blow to come so soon. It is taken as an indication that Admiral Nimitz's planned drive across the Pacific to the China coast is well under way. It is generally supposed that the event will profoundly affect the morale of the Japanese people and that Japan might now be compelled to withdraw some of her forces from China—the only territory where she can conveniently deplete her strength. The “New York Times,” in a leading article, states: “The speed with which we have carried the offensive forward from the Marshalls to Truk is immediately encouraging, and the assurance with which the Navy now feels free to operate in these once impregnable Japanese waters is evidenced by the fact that the news of the attack was announced within 36 hours of'the beginning of the engagement and probably while it was still in progress. Unless the Japanese risk a general fleet action in waters dominated by our land aeroplanes they must apparently give up what they still hold south of Truk.”

FINNISH PEACE MOVES COLLAPSE OF TALKS REPORTED BRITISH GOVERNMENT’S POSITION (Rec, 10 p.m.) LONDON, Feb. 19. The Finnish Minister of the Interior (Leo Ehrnrooth) has left Stockholm for Helsinki by air. Paasikivi is remaining in Stockholm. The British United Press correspondent in Moscow says: "The Russians are in no mood for haggling or bargaining with the Finns. The longer the Finns hesitate the tougher the settlement will be. The Russians are confident they can handle the Finns from a military viewpoint any lime they think it necessary.” Reuter's Stockholm correspondent says that the talks have temporarily broken down as the Soviet conditions are considered too severe. Preliminary negotiations for a FinnoR.ussian armistice are continuing in Stockholm, but there is no conclusive evidence that Paasikivi has yet met Mrs Kollontay, the Russian Ambassador to Sweden. That, states tne Stockholm correspondent of the "Daily Telegraph,” is the summing up of the situation at the dose of a week of rumours, guesses, and speculations, but Finland is still a long way from extricating herself from the Finnish-Soviet war. The diplomatic correspondent of the "Daily Express" stales that the British Government will facilitate in every way the peace elforts Finland is now making. Although Britain is formally at war with Finland, arrangements w’iil be made if necessary for the safe conduct of Finnish negotiators through Britain to Moscow, and a British aeroplane may be placed at the disposal of the delegates going to Moscow. • It is possible that an armistice will be followed by a formal Finnish-Rus-sian peace treaty. The other United Nations arc not likely to obiect. The treaty will be a model of the settlements which other Axis satellites may expect. Allied Raids in Aegean.—'"Consistently bad weather over the Aegean Sea has hampered attacks on enemy SLl Ppl. v ships and harbours recently, but they have been maintained,” sav., a Middle East air communique. “Several vessels have been sunk and damaged. In operations from February 12 to 18, we lost five aircraft."—Rugby, February 19. Malaria Menace In Egypt.—Troops are moving south to fight the malaria menace in Egypt. The "Egyptian Gazette" says: "It is no use pretending that the epidemic is over. If the mosquito menace cannot be stamped out in the Upper Nile Valley it will quickly reach the della, where there is much stagnant water. The danger will Urm be 100 times greater.”—London, February 13.