The Gisborne Herald. WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED “THE TIMES” GISBORNE, TUESDAY, DEC. 9, 1941. WAR IN THE PACIFIC

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20634, 9 December 1941, Page 4

The Gisborne Herald. WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED “THE TIMES” GISBORNE, TUESDAY, DEC. 9, 1941. WAR IN THE PACIFIC

Following the sensational developments in the opening phases of the war in the Pacific, to-day there is almost an entire absence of news of actual hostilities. There is evidence, it is true, that Japan is taking the initiative in widely-separated spheres, but there is little or no indication of the results. Attacks have been launched almost simultaneously on the American possessions of Hawaii, the Philippines, Guam, and Wake and Midway Islands, on the British territories of Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaya, and on Thailand and Shanghai. This means, as President Roosevelt has pointed out, that the war extends to the whole Pacific area. It means, also, that Japan has disposed her forces over an enormous expanse of ocean and at many points on land. On the face of it, this would seem to leave her in a dangerous position, since comparatively small units will be confronted by the well-prepared forces of the strong combination of Powers opposed to her. Certainly she gains by the element of surprise, but it will take more than surprise to enable a relatively small force to succeed against points like Hawaii, Singapore or Hong Kong. It may be that these were intended merely as hit-and-run attacks and that' Japan, Having delivered them, will now regroup her forces for a more concentrated offensive. So far as has been disclosed in the early reports, Japan has gained remarkably little from her initial onslaughts, if allowance is made for the great advantage she possessed as a result of her surprise offensive. Although there must have been a large concentration of American warships at Pearl Harbour, the only known losses are one old battleship, presumably the Oklahoma, and one destroyer. Other vessels have been damaged and many planes destroyed, but the Japanese must surely have counted on a much larger measure of success. For their part they have lost one aircraft carrier and a substantial number of planes. On the other side of, the Pacific they have apparently succeeded in subjugating Thailand, which was not unexpected, and in gaining a somewhat precarious foothold in northern Malaya, where Imperial troops are awaiting them. Some damage has been inflicted on both British and American bases in various parts of the Pacific, but there is nothing to suggest that it is of a vital character. It must be remembered, of course, that this new war has only commenced, but there does seem to be some justification for saying that, considering the way in which the attack was launched, the position is not unfavourable to the Allied forces. It remains to be seen just how much Japan has up her sleeve.

In the meantime, there has been no lack of activity on the diplomatic front. The one thing which stands out above everything else is the manner in which Japan’s treacherous act of aggression has united, not only all shades of political opinion in the United States, but also all the American nations and all those countries with interests in the Pacific. No room is left for doubt or argument. Japan has revealed herself as the menace she is and has given immediate proof of her ruthlessness and brutality. By these things she has served, as nothing else could serve, as a force for unifying the peace-loving nations who are determined that aggression must be checked. President Roosevelt has immediately rallied the people of his country to the defence of their interests, and Mr. Churchill has not delayed in reaffirming the attitude of Britain and the Empire in the face of this latest threat. The Dutch East Indies, Canada, Australia and New Zealand have each spoken for themselves and taken appropriate action. It is thus made clear, almost from the outset, that Japan has to reckon with a strong ring of encircling Powers who realise that they are fighting, not only for abstract ideals, but also for their very existence. She

must have greater cause than they to fear the outcome.

Mr. Churchill has wisely uttered a word of warning against taking this new enemy too cheaply. The fact is that Japan’s strength is an unknown quantity, particularly on the sea, where the war will be mainly fought. It is a question, as the Prime Minister has pointed out, whether Japan’s action springs from the audacity of recklessness or the conviction of strength. If it is the former, then the issue should not be long in doubt, but if Japan is really convinced of her superiority in the Pacific then it will be necessary to prepare for a long and bitter struggle in which Japan, as she has already shown, will not hesitate to resort to every conceivable method of warfare. For their part, the allied nations, long forewarned, are reasonably well prepared. For a year past, there has been a steady flow of the most modern weapons to all vital points and land forces have been strongly reinforced. With the release of some of Britain’s most powerful warships for service in the Far East, Britain and the United States should have naval superiority, and their strength in the air should be more than equal to that of the Japanese. In addition there has been close accord and co-operation between the allied commands and every possible preparation has been made. All that remains, then, is to await the real trial ol strength confident, in the words of Mr. Roosevelt, that the Allies “in their righteous might, will win through to absolute victory.”