LOSS OF JAVA

Grey River Argus, 24 February 1942, Page 5

LOSS OF JAVA

Unless 1500 U.S. Planes Arrive Now ANGLO-U.S. DEFECTS SHOWN UP. [Aust. & N.Z. Cable Assn.] (Rec. 12.40.) NEW YORK, Feb. 23. The United States press gives prominence to a broadcast by the correspondent of the National Broadcasting Corporation, Mr Martin Agronsky, who is in Sydney, Australia. In this he criticised both the United States and the British for ineptitude in the South-west Pacific warfare.

He described an incident occurring near Java, wherein a United States warship was convoying American troopships and the warshilp was unable to fight effectively against thirty-two attacking Japanese bombers, because the warship’s anti-air-craft ammunition was eleven years old, and was so defective that only thirty per cent, of the shells were bursting. Mr Agronsky also related an alleged incident wherein Royal Air Force pilots, who were ready and eager to enter into battle arrived in Singapore at the height of the hostilities there, only to be told that they were not expected in Singapore, and that they would therefore have to go to Java in order to receive instructions from the British High Command. In thi?. meantime, the pilots’ ship was bombed in the Singapore docks. Mr Agronsky asserted: The Allied defences throughout the Far Eastern theatre are still pitifully weak.” He gave a warning that the fight for Java would be waged against tremendous odds. He added: “The Allies would have a good chance of holding Java only if one thousand United States fighter ’planes .and, 500 bomber ’planes ar. rived there immediately.” GENERAL WAVELL’S WOUNDS. ROME, February 20. The Stefani News Agency reported that the Allied Commander-in-Chief in the South-west Pacific (General Wa'vell), who was yesterday reported by the Tokio radio to be wounded and receiving treatment in Sourabaya, received his wounds during a recent Japanese air raid. IN BORNEO. LONDON, February 22. Escapees from Sarawak, after trekking across Borneo, report that the Japanese are using Manchukuan levies in Sarawak for unimportant military duties, confirming that the occupation of Malaya is extremely thin.