ONLY ONE RESULT

Evening Star, Issue 25069, 10 January 1944, Page 4

ONLY ONE RESULT

WHEN JAPANESE FLEET FIGHTS COLONEL KNOX'S DECLARATION WASHINGTON, January 8. A warning that' it is foolish to assume that the Japanese fleet is afraid to fight was given by the Secretary of the Navy Colonel Frank Knox, at a Press conference to-day. "The Japanese fleet," he said, " probably remains in hiding because the time does not- suit its purpose, and it is waiting until the odds are in its favour, But while it remains cooped up our ships, men, and planes are growing. When the Japanese come out there can-only be one ultimate result." Colonel Knox asserted that Admiral W. Halsey was too conservative in estimating the ratio of casualties at 10 Japanese to one American. The enemy losses in the Cape Gloucester area were almost 20 to 1.

Air power plays a leading part in the overall strategy for the defeat > of Japan, high army and navy officials to-day told a semi-private conference of industrialists and labour . leaders America's rapidly-growing carrier strength, they said, would be approximately doubled within a few months. Nothing could stop the carrier offensive when it began. Colonel T. Halcomb, a retired marines commandant,- defended the Pacific island hopping. He said the Allies must converge on Japan from all directions; one being along the chain of islands leading .directly ,to Japan's front door. The United Nations would go from island to island until- the outskirts, of Japan were finally reached, but certain amphibious operations were necessary in preparation for hitting Japan's greatest bastions. . " The Allies,", he said, " will take as many islands as they need with the least possible expenditure of men, time, and material." '

Vice-Admiral McCain, deputy chief of • naval air operations, said that Colonel Knox's recent statement that the United States had oyer 40 carriers represented only a fraction of the potential carrier strength.