JAPAN’S DEFEAT

Dominion, Volume 38, Issue 3, 28 September 1944, Page 5

JAPAN’S DEFEAT

Up To Two Years After Reich Falls OFFICIAL AMERICAN ESTIMATE (Received September 27, 11.15 p.m.) LONDON, September 27. The United States Oilice of War Information has issued a statement that victory over Japan will take probably one and a half to two years after the defeat of Germany. . This estimate, it says, is, based on information from the American State, War and Navy Departments and the Federal Economic Institute.

NO CHEAP VICTORY

General Blarney’s View (By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright.) SYDNEY, September 26. Long and cftstly campaigns will probably be necessary before the Japanese are defeated, said General Blarney, Com-mander-in-Chief of the Allied Land Forces in the south-west Pacific. The progress made so far had been merely an approach to the main struggle. “Some people are smugly trying to convince themselves that the Japanese will crack when the Nazis go,” he-said, “hut there is no real prospect of this happening. “We of the Australian Army know bow the Japanese can fight. We have seen thousands prefer death to surrender.” General Blarney referred to difficulties faced by the Allied armies in the landing in France to fight the German nation of 80.000,060 people. Yet at this time half the German forces were engaged on the Russian front. "Were people so optimistic as to believe it would be less difficult to traverse immense distances and land an effective force on the Japanese mainland to defeat her 90.000,000? General Blarney said tho Australian Army was now resting for the great tasks which lay ahead. There could be no reduction in the lighting strength of that army. In New Guinea and the Solomons area, 90.000 Japanese had been by-passed and still remained to be dealt with. These Japanese were isolated, and no longer a threat to Australia; but they were fanatics and would fight till they were killed.

Underscoring the difficulties of flic Pacific war, General Blarney disclosed that' the Australian military hospital had given treatment to 1,400,000 patients since the fighting began.