SPEEDING ATTACK IN PACIFIC

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 115, 10 February 1944, Page 5

SPEEDING ATTACK IN PACIFIC

Allied Dependence On Chinese Bases (Received February 9, 10.30 p.m.) NEW YORK, February 8. The American Associated Press correspondent aboard the United States flagship at Kwajalein says that Admiral Nimitz, Commander-in-Chief of tbe Pacific Fleets, after making an inspection of the battle scenes with Lieuten-ant-General Richardson, said that the seizure of Kwajalein definitely shortened tbe communications in the South Pacific and South-west Pacific. The admiral stressed that the major obstacle in the Pacific was not the Japanese so much as distance. Asked whether the invasion of the Marshalls meant that the war in the Pacific was being pushed without waiting for the end of the European conflict, Admiral Nimitz replied: “This operation speaks for itself. It is evidence that we are not waiting for the end of the European war. but are pushing across the Pacific.” Admiral Nimitz expressed the opinion that the American naval and air forces combined cpjjid take any Japanese position which was not defended by coastal guns big enough to keep the fleet away. The Japanese were now greatly embarrassed by their lack of destroyers for escort and screening purposes, he said. He agreed that the Japanese air forces had definitely been weakened. 'Allied Strategy. Later.

At a Press conference at Pearl Harbour today, on his return from the Marshalls, Admiral Nimitz, discussing the future operations against Japan, said that Japan could only be defeated from bases in China and not from the sen alone. Only from China could Japan be bombed on the sdale of the present raids on Germany. Moreover, the Japanese were getting valuable war materials from occupied Manchuria and China. The Allied object was to get ground and air forces into China as soon as possible. \ The capture of Kwajalein Atoll, he said, would speed up the war .in the Pacific. The final breakdown in organized enemy defence on the atoll came just eight days after the first landing. Air attacks had already started against other atolls. Wotje, Jaluit, Milli and Maloelap were the four best bases remaining to the enemy in the Marshalls, but tlie Japanese would have great difficulty in supplying them. The present number of Japanese on the atolls was about 10,000, including labourers.

A Pearl Harbour spokesman said today that the names of the bombed islands would not be announced after the attacks, as this might give useful information to the disorganized Japanese.