The Grey River Argus WEDNESDAY, March 18, 1942. A TIME FOR STOICS

Grey River Argus, 18 March 1942, Page 4

The Grey River Argus WEDNESDAY, March 18, 1942. A TIME FOR STOICS

Though ho acknowledges a rapid recent deterioration in our situation, the Prime Minister!, no doubt because he is bettor informed than others of the readjusted strategy, sees in the clouds overhanging the Pacific a silver lining. The position meantime he describes as more critical than any New Zealand has ever been in. The enemy’s success in Malaya, the Philippines, the Netherlands Islands and Burma has left at his disposal large forces which may be directed against any or all of these objectives. Two of these are in Asia, while the third, possibly the most immediate, is that of Australia and New Zealand. As had previously suggested itself, tlm danger of a thrust by the Japanese, first at Fiji and then at New Zealand, is stated by Mr Fraser to have been greatly increased by the unavoidable withdrawals of Allied forces on the several fronts adjacent to the Equator. A glance at the map is enough to indicate Fiji’s proximity to islands already either in enemy occupation, or subject to enemy attack. The initiative remains with the Japanese, who, apart from the numerical preponderance of their Army, possessed naval supremacy, and for the time being retain also air superiority. . The right note is struck when the Prime Minister says the immediate future requires of New Zealanders a spirit of stoic-ism-—a readiness to bear sacrifice and hardship, tempered with the. knowledge that there are brighter days eventually in store. It is going to mean a gigantic effort on the part of every one of the United Nations to turn even their Pacific position from, one of defence into one of attack. A complete revolution in z military plans has become imperative, and a new strategy already is being devised by the several Governments involved on the Pacific

fronts. It may nevertheless be taken for granted that the enemy will not hesitate whilst that strategy is being implemented, but will endeavour biy every means in his power to forestall it. (Hence the likelihood, nay the moral certainty, that the fighting quality of the people of this country. .wiiftl be tested equally with that of- our neighbours on the other side of the Tasman Sea. Wc must be ready to stand up to whatever may be the outcome of the uncertain interlude between the conquest of the Netherlands Indies and the next enemy offensive. It is not indicated that in Burma the Allied forces will be able during that space Io develop offensive action. The measures now in train for the defence of Ceylon and the Indian coastline offer the most instructive evidence of this. There have been reports that Siberia might now become the object of Japanese attack, hut it is far wiser to conclude that so long as Russia docs not trouble Japan, Russia will not he t.roubl ed by Japan. To adopt the contrary notion would be only an instance of the wishful thinking which at. this time more than ever must be discounted 100 per cent. The Prime Minister docs, however, point to the successful resistance • which Britain and Russia have offered the Germans as an example for us in resisting the Japanese. A stoical spirit has 'certainly been displayed, and no less certainly has been called for, in standing up to the Axis in Eurcpe, in Africa and on the seas. It has even been suggested that the Japanese owed some at least of their earlier success to an absence of that spirit. On the other hand, the display of an underlain and critical spirit at this critical hour would be quite the contrary of that of the stoic. Where it has made an appearance it ought, to be ignored. Calmness no less than determination is a. characteristic of the fighting spirit for which the Prime Minister has called, and when it has to be exercised in actual warfare it will be found to be the authentic spirit of New Zealand. 1 I