DELAYING ACTION

Grey River Argus, 26 February 1942, Page 5

DELAYING ACTION

U.S.A. Strategy in Pacific M’R. ROOSEVELT'S STATEMENT. WASHINGTON, February 24. In his broadcast speech, Mr. Roosevelt said: —“For 40 years it has been our strategy, Horn of necessity, that in the event of a full-scale Japanese attack on the islands, we should fight a delaying action, attempting to retire slowly into the Batan Peninsula and Corregidor.”

“There'are four main lines of communication being travelled by our ships, the North Atlantic, the South Atlantic, the Indian Ocean, and the South Pacific. These routes are not one-way streets, for the ships which carry troops and munitions outward bound bring back essential raw materials which are required for • our own u se. “The defence of our world-wide lines of communication demands our relatively safe use of the sea and air along the various routes. This in turn depends upon control by the united nations of strategic bases along those routes. Control of the air involves the simultaneous use of two types of aeroplanes, first longrange heavy bombers, and second light bombers, dive-bombers, torpedo aeroplanes, and short-range pursuit aeroplanes, which are essential to the protection of bases and the bombers themselves. Heavy bombers can be flown under their own power from here to the southwest Pacific, but smaller aeroplanes must be crated and shipped. “Look at the map and you will see that the route is long and in many places perilous—either across the South Atlantic round South Africa, or from California' direct to the Netherland East Indies. A vessel can make_lhe round trip by either route in four months, or only three round trips a year. In spite of the length and difficulties of this transportation, we already have a large number of bombers and pursuit aeroplanes panned by American pilots in daily contact with the enemy/’ “Beforgthe war the Philippines were already surrounded on three sides by Japanese power. On the west, the Japanese possessed the coast of China and the coast of IndoChina, which waS yielded to them by Vichy. On the inorth side are the islands of Japart themselves, reaching almost to northern Luzon. On the east were mandated islands which Japan occupied exclusively and fortified in absolute violation of her written word. These hundreds of islands appeared only as small dots on the maps but covered a large strategic area. Guam lay in the middle of them—a lone outpost which we never fortified. “Under the Washington Treaty_ of 1921 we solemnly agreed not to' add to the fortification of the Philippine Islands. We had no safe naval base there, so we could not use the islands for extensive naval operations. Immediately the war started, the Japanese moved down on either side of the Philippines to numerous points to the south of them. That complete encirclement, with control of the air by Japanese land-based aircraft, prevented us from sending substantial reinforcements of men and material to the gallant defenders iof the Philippines.

Lease-Lend Act WELL OVER 2000 MILILION DOLLARS. WASHINGTON, February 24Dr. Edward Stettinius, Lend-Lease Act Administrator, giving testimony befqre the Senate Appropriations Committee said: “The rate of the Lend-Lease Act aid has been tripled since the Pearl Harbour attack on December 7. During the first eight and a-half months, the aid averaged 141 million dollars per month. Compared with this 334 miihon dollars of aid was given in December, and 162 millions in January. From March to November the Lease-Lend Act aid totalled 1202 million dollars. By the end of January it had reached 2000 millions, and it is still climbing.” Dr Stettinius also disclosed that an airferrying service over the Atlantic io the Middle Eait, created last summer, had been extended to bombers for the fighting forces, which can be flown to fighting areas in the South Pacific. LEAKAGE OF AIRCRAFT SECRETS. WASHINGTON, February 24. The Attorney General, Mr. Biddle,

told the Senate Judiciary Committee to-day, at a hearing on the Official Secrets’ Bill, that there had been leaks concerning American aircraft plans. Special blueprints had reached enemy hands. Thus far the Justice Department had only been able to secure one conviction. Mr. Biddle expressed the opinion that the holders of Government contracts should be made subject to criminal penalties for divulging production secrets. School Child Labour MAY BE DRAFTED FOR FARMERS. (Rec. 8.30.) Chicago' Feb. 24. Mr F. A. R. Hunter,, Chief of the Farm Placement Section of the United States Employment Service, asserted to-day: "It may become necessary to draft school children, from the Seventh Grade upwards, to meet the farm labour shortage, and for the replacing of those taken away for the Army.” Mr Hunter pointed out that in Oregon State, older school children have already been registered .for service. GOVERNMENT HOUSING AGENCY. (Rec. 11.5.) WASHINGTON, Feb. 24/ President Roosevelt has announced that he has consolidated sixteen Government housing agencies into one organisation, to be known as the National House Agency. Post-War Trade ANGLO-AMERICAN AGREEMENT.

(Rec. 8.30.) WASHINGTON, Feb. 24. Speaking to-day at Desmoines, Mr Wendell Willkie said that post-war economy agreement had been concluded between Britain and America. “This agreement,” he said, “recognises the principles for which I have fought all my active life. It is the most significant and beneficial understanding made between nations in many years. It is a direct positive step toward an enlargement of world trade areas, and a recognition of the mutual economic inter-depend-ence bf nations in modern industrial society.” Mr Willkie added: “I hope that neither narrow nationalism nor the revival of catch phrases and obsolete arguments will prevent the adoption and acceptance by American people of this agreement.”