ON GUADALCANAL, NOW: SELL OR DUMP ORDER

Press, Volume LXXXI, Issue 24750, 15 December 1945, Page 6

ON GUADALCANAL, NOW: SELL OR DUMP ORDER

SURPLUS EQUIPMENT

Many months have passed and much has happened since that day in February, 1943, When General Patch, commanding the XIV Corps, announced that organised enemy resistance, had ceased oh Guadalcanal'. But by the people of Pacific countries, Guadalcanal was npver quite forgotten: for, just as at El Alameih the British began to roll back the tide Of the War in the west, so on Guadalcanar the Americans began to roll back the tide of war in the East.

Guadalcanar became a huge staging base, where tens of thousands of men learhed the lessons of landing On beaches and infiltrating, of living in jungle swamps ahd fighting there. They learned the lessons that the early Marine and Army divisions learned, the hard way; and they took those lessons with them to Tokyo via hundreds of.bloody, beaches and desert islands. Millions of tons of food, equipment, ar.tiis, ammunition, tahks, and all the clobber of war were poured into the few square, miles of flam about Henderson 'Field. And then, when Okihawa had been Captured and the plans were being laid for the last great effort, Which by the grace of science ahd (one hopes) the forbearance of God, did not have to materialise, men and materials began to be moved from Guadalcanar. To-day there are still about 2000 men bn this island; trucks still thunder along the coast road from Point Cruz arid Henderson Field to Kukum docks; sometimes a dozen, ships still, wait to dock at, Kukum; there are dozens of deserted camps, with signs hanging crazily outside; dozens and dozens of trucks and jeeps .and tanks ahd guns stand in Rotten Row; there are. still 10 tnovie shows on the island; and the PX’s still sell unlimited quantities of cigarettes, cigars, ahd candy. Stink dr Stifled

But the rrifeh are all talkihg about points and why the hell Congress says there ate no ships to get them home when they cah fill Sah Francisco, and New York harbbhrs With hundreas of ships of. all kinds fbr a goddam review. The trucks that are riot standing ih Rotten ROW are all going one way—to the docks. Henderson Field —the riiost famous airfield of this war —is nearly covered With weed which will soon be jungle. Only a few men are at the naval base. The It) movie shows,.do excellent business,.though a few Gl’s who have sweated out 24 months bri this island can remember When there were moire than 100 and a fellow was lucky to get a seat. You dfln’t buy fountain pens or Rorison lighters or wristwatches any mbrei though there is always the guy that knows a guy that would probably arrange something for a bottle of rye. Ahd slowly the dozens of concert huts rife disgorging their surplus supplies, some of. which are being loaded into the gaping mouths, of GST’s.nosed on to these beachfes for, orie hopes, the last time. , The majority of these Supplies, part of the 555,000,000 dollars worth of military surpluses spread across the four of the earth, are being dumped in the sea or bulldozed into the gfoUrid The cry is sell or dump. And as thete is nb brie to buy, Gl’s not being allowed tb import the stuff back to the States for feat of lowering already inflated prices or antagonising labour

(Specially Written for “The Press.") [By “EYEWITNESS."]

unions, arid the Protectorate Govern, ment, its officials, and other residents ‘ not having ahy mote dollars than ahW : where else in this dollarless EmSifk' most of the Surpluses ate beinj dumped. American supply officer? most of them businessmen in private life, ate bitter and angry because of' the vast quantities of surpluses they have to destroy. Actihg on instruction* from higher authorities, they supert vise millions of dollars worth of ffio bile equipment, medical and dentalsupplies, small Vessels, marine engine? clothing* tinned beer, food, and tings rind parts for . every conceivable mechanical gadget being thrown iffin the drink or bulldozed into the ground. In a world that is .smashed add hopelessly short of the necessary tnaterials to rebuild homes and buildmgs and factories, the analogy of the present situation with that of the feafly thirties when food was dumped in the sight of starving millions so that prices would be maintained, is not lost on - officers ahd rheh alike, who have lone been hearing and reading about Shbfp ages in America, Britain. Europe, China, the East Indies, and other cou&I tries that have had their producing capacity partly bt wholly destroyed hi the war. ™ On Guadalcanal, the destruction is infinitesimal compared with What il being done further west and north M The Admiralties, at Finchhafen, Jacobi, not Bay, Lae, Rabaul, Saidpr, dozens of other bases, the destruction is fantastic iri thoroughness. Tka whole matter is handled by represefli tatives of the Office of the Foreign Liquidation Commission, which debates Under the Surplus Property mI of 1944, an act which most American businessmen deplgre as being hbsukffiV ’ inept. The main difficulty is that commission refuses to accept anythin! but, dollars for equipment that is sola! UNRRA has been able to purchaS microscopic quantities; but as fafU British countries or British citizens 4 ate concerned, they are automatically ruled out as possible purchasers The lucky exceptions are the few trading companies that have interests Iri tel United States and consequently can raise a iew of the necessary dollars ■ Iron Bottom Bay Arid so on British islands and bases Americah equipment that Would bn ffiH - valuable for rehabilitating devastated ‘ areas being destroyed. For, contrary to the recent report ih ah American - paper, which stated: that most heavy" equipment would be left for.anVßhfea pick Up, the birder of the day is- sell" or dump. Somewhere someone doesn’t seem to realise that, unless Britain and America get together and iron OUt economic differences, there is chahce of world deohoinife security,. Adt.f mittedly this matter is of minor importance compared with other hbmic problems; but it certainly haU the character of the shape d! tfliriS past and possibly the shape of things to come. ... Off the coast of Guadalcanal, bglweari rf.y. 0 Island and Florida, beneath 450'frithoms lie nearly 20 Allied war ves- ‘ sels, including the Australian rtUIS&f■ ■ Canberra... Men call this Iron BdS-' i? ow - J nt P- thls bay is being > poured equipment. Which some coun- l tnds Sri the world CoUld Us# ’Il ls' v irohic to think that under thbge .wal&ti' '-' he the bodies of thousands of seaffilwt ior - the e P°boiriie ChSer beCahlC part of lh< * Atlantic.;