SPARRING FOR OPENING

Evening Post, Volume CXXXV, Issue 27, 2 February 1943, Page 5

SPARRING FOR OPENING

AMERICAN FORCES

(By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright.) (Special Australian Correspondent.) SYDNEY, February 1.

Reports from Washington and London indicate that the Allied authorities have fully appraised not only Japan's growing strength as a result of her exploitation of her conquered territories, but also the enemy's growing offensive threat. However, it is increasingly clear that this knowledge has not changed the "beat Hitler first" strategy on which the United Nations* war effort is based. Whether such strategy, has been even modified to cope' with the Japanese threat in the Pacific remains to be seen.

The Casablanca conference is heavily criticised within the United States for its alleged failure to give proper attention to the Pacific. Newspapers and Congressmen are expressing sharp disagreement with "the way Messrs. Roosevelt and Churchill have concentrated on European affairs." Congressman Rankin, of Missouri, declared: "While we are all excited about the Casablanca incident, we must not overlook the fact that our permanent enemy is Japan." ALLIES MAY STRIKE FIRST. While there will be no early all-out Allied offensive in the Pacific, the military correspondent of the "New York Herald Tribune," Major Fielding [ Eliot, says the American forces in this southern theatre are now sparring for an opening and endeavouring to beat the Japanese to the punch. "Conditions seem to favour an Allied offensive before the Japanese are ready to launch theirs," writes Major Eliot. "The American marines who were recently withdrawn from Guadalcanal will soon appear in action elsewhere. It seems likely that our next move may be the long-expected attack against the Japanese positions in the western Solomons (Bougaini ville and New Georgia) in order to secure control of the water between Guadalcanal and New Guinea. Aneven bolder conception would be a direct attack against Rabaul, but it is questionable whether we have sufficient air bases and carriers. % The tenacity of the Japanese in the earlier engagements indicates that the capture of powerfully-armed Rabaul would cost us heavily. But that is just part of the price we must pay for years of neglect and unpreparedness." DANGER TO AUSTRALIA. While American war observers expect that Japan will return to the attack on Guadalcanal, various Australian commentators, including the Deputy Leader of the Federal Opposi-

tion, Mr. W. M. Hughes, continue to stress the danger to Australia's norta from the enemy concentration in the Araf ura and Banda Seas area. It is also suggested that a convergence of these forces and the main - Japanese strength based at Rabaul might be designed to oust the Allies from Papua. But Guadalcanal, which is a menacing Allied wedge in the Japanese defensive system, seems the logical first objective for any enemy drive. Though the present situation holds dangerous possibilities, it also presents the Allies with yet another opportunity for inflicting crippling blows against the depleted Japanese naval strength;