GREATER DANGER

Grey River Argus, 20 May 1942, Page 5

GREATER DANGER

FOR AUSTRALIA

Supplies from Overseas NOT YET ADEQUATE. [Aust. & N.Z. CabM A« n .] (Rec. 10.10). WASHINGTON, May 18. Fears have been expressed by Sir Keith Murdoch and the “Sydney Morning Herald” that Washington is Viewing Australia’s position in an over-complacent way. These fears are now being widely publicised here. A high responsible quarter told the Australian Associated Press that “there is a threat to Australia, and we in no way under-estimate the Japanese strength.” . There has been no offic'-m reaction to the Australian complaints, since the complaints were uttered unofficially, but the foregoing statement closelv corresponds with the Washington' official viewpoint .in one * of the most important Departments concerned with Australian relations. There is a disposition, m some circles here, to regard the complaints as being an unjustified • “newspaper campaign.” However, the reaction to the complaints in other high quarters was that Australia’s supplies are not adequate, as the enemy now approaches. Therefore, those quarters want to do their utmost to obtain more support for .Australia. These authorities said .that the United States wfcs doing its utmost for the Australians, in view of its responsibilities to them.

AUSTRALIA’S DANGER

Dr. Evatt’s Appeal TO PEOPLE OF BRITAIN.

RUGBY, May 17. An appeal for a realisation of the danger facing Australia was broadcast by the Australian Minister of External Affairs (Dr. Evatt). He said that a heavv score of disasters was on the board, and this must be stopped. If we lose more, we may lose all. In the past, Australians had helped to save Britain, and Britain, by winning the air battle in 1940, saved Australia. At the moment, the Japanese were in possession of vital strategic points in and near New Guinea, and these were as much the rateway to Australia as Calais. Dumkirk, and Boulogne were to Britain. He considered that the, Japanese move to Invade Australia, which had been repulsed recently, would be renewed in greater strength. Under the present war organisation. Britain and the United States jointly controlled the flow of supplies to IA/ustralia and everv other theatre. Only they, and they acting together, covjd allocate the aid needed. He was sure they, would do it, for the defence of Australian bases was of crucial importance. Onlv if those bases were secure, could they pass to the offensive against the Japanese. Australia asked that the Pacific Front should be regarded as of first-rate importance. He had been sent to Britain and the United States to confer with Mr. Church'll and his colleagues on the immediate peril facing Austral ia. Everything he had seen made him certain that the British nation could not be beaten. Both the Government and people of Britain were resolved that the enemy now threatening the British in Australia and New Zealand must be forced back, and then overthrown.

English Paper

ON DR. EVATT’S APPEAL

(Rec. 11.52) LONDON, May 19In a leading article on Doctor Evatt’s ministerial talks and broadcasts, the “Manchester Guardian” says: “It was good that the British people should be told so frankly and almost brutally, what the Australians are feeling, and what they expect from us. The theory of a slowly-mounting Allied production, which, in time, would crush the enemy, has to be tempered by the need for exerting all of their strength in critical, months of 1942. This is the response to Hitler’s immense concentration, and also to the time schedule which Japan’s progress will impose. It also is the answer to Dr. Evatt’s demand that Britain and the United States shall give to Australia greater and more prompt aid. Whether , Australia is not just a little importunate is a matter for argument. Australia is near the J'apanese. We are not. None of us can dictate to our ' Government how is should apportion our growing strength. We only hope, with Dr. Evatt, That it will not be dissipared and spent prematurely.”

CURTIN’S APPEAL TO U.S.A.

In January Last WHY IT WAS MADE

SYDNEY, May 18. “J. have never been able to understand misconceptions about the message which I sent to Mi' Roosevelt early in January, asking for United States aid for the defence of Australia,” declared the Prime Minister (Mr Curtin) in the course of a speech here. “Let it be clearly understood,” he said, “that the relations between Australia and the United States, Australia and Canada and Australia and New Zealand, are all governed by one supreme purpose—the retention of Australia as an integral part of the British Commonwealth of Nations.

" “If ;t was right and proper for Mr Churchill to make two visits to Mr Roosevelt—as I have no doubt it W as —I can only wonder why it wa.-, wrong for someone else to send a message to Mr Roosevelt.” Mr Curtin pointed out that as leader of a democratic country, ii. was his duty to let the people know what was in his heart and mind, what he thought the nation was faced with, and what he thought the nation was capable of doing with its resources. If he thought those resources were inadequate to preserve the security of the country, he should not be afraid to face criticism ana sav where things most needed by the country could best be obtained. Geographical considerations made it inevitable that Australians might hold different views on war matters from those in other parts of the Empire moulded in the institutions and traditions of England. ‘ “Strategically Australia is vital to the" whole structure of the Empire in this war. We are in the south anti the Motherland in the north and the two together are complementary. Otherwise, the whole story of colonisation is unreal, and without objective. ■ I make no apology for the stitem« r t I made to the Uniteu States to it’gard this Pacific zone as cf“ vital importance not only to us. but to the security of the Umteu States. The help we asked has come

to us, end more is coming. I know that with the ultimate mobilisation of the resources of the Allied nations we will be much stronger than the enemy. The Allies must stick together. There must be no sacrificing of one for the alleged common good. Australia stands irrevocably with the Allies.”

IS U.S.A. AID ADEQUATE ?

Australian Doubts MANY AMERICAN FORCES BEING SENT ELSEWHERE.

(Rec., 9.5) NEW YORK, May 18Authorities here say that if there ever were a lack of awareness at Australia's danger, that has been dissipated by Doctor n-vatts miss.ou and by General MacArthur s assignment to the South-west Pacific Command. At the Pacific Council Dr Evatt repeatedly emphasised the importance of the Australian front. He also reiterated this message to the highest military and naval officials in a series of conferences. One source said: “The Australians should not be mislead by Mr Roosevelt’s use of the word ‘check’, in a statement by him in which he declared that the Japanese southward advance had been checked.” This does not mean the Japanese had been defeated, or thwarted, but th-.t they merely had been halted temporarily. A high source here has been stressing the fact lately that the Coral Sea battle was in no way conclusive, or final, since it is expected that the Japanese will strike again, and with far heavier forces. This view coincides with Australia’s own view, and it shows no complacency; although it is pointed out that only the future can prove whether the United States leaders have correctly judged the amount of material and of reinforcements wh ch should have been sent to Australia.

To-night it was revealed that large American reinforcements have been sent to the British Isles. This is a reminder that the United States must divide its support among many fronts, in spite of the fact tnat many Australians undoubtedly do feel that the share of material which they obtained should have been larger.

MacArthur’s Air Force

SIMILAR DUTY TO R.A.F. IN

CHANNEL.

NEW YORK, May 18. Major de Seversky, [an aviation expert, says:—The Coral Sea is strategically similar to the English Channel, and the role of MacArthur’s aviators is similar to that of the R.A.F. which saved Britain, by esr tablishing superiority over (the Channel skies.

Those who succeed in acquiring and holding bases on the Australian mainland, .in New Guinea, or other islands, will almost jiutomatica become masters of the whole area, regardless of the relative strength of other forces. Because of the necessarily short range of aircraft, the whole war has been largely a continuous race for air bases. The picture in the Pacific is even more clearly that of a race for these bases. The Japanese advance into the South-webt Pacific can best be shown diagrammatically as a series of concentric arcs, each making another segment brought under the control of the Mikado’s aviation. Only as the chain of more advanced a'r bases drew another and another area into the orbit of overhead assault, have the Japanese surface craft and armies been able to undertake operations. Major de Severskv. considers there should be less tendency, to divert shipping facilities from transport to aviation equipment, to other weapons and manpower. Aircraft-car-riers do not offer means of air control over the approaches to Australia. It is land bases and island chains which give the Japanese the advantage.

FRESH JAPANESE MOVE

Against Australia PREPARATIONS to counter

SYDNEY, May 18. General MacArthur spent recent days in conference with chiefs of the Naval and Air Staffs, and intelligence officers, and the; part that his forces will play in the event of another enemy excursion into the Southern Pacific has been clearly marked, reports the “Herald s Melbourne correspondent. The Com-mander-in-Chief has drawn to the staff the best tactical brains available in this theatre of the war. The men advising him on the methods to be adopted in meeting and conquering the Japanese have the advantage of close study of the enemy s methods. The first concentration of the Japanese forces north of Australia, had been mapped by the Allies long before it moved south. The “look-out” has been- intensified in the past few days, since the enemy’s effort on the New Guinea front dropped to spasmodic raids on Port Moresby. This, is regarded in some quarters as a sign that the second Japanese concentration has reached an advanced stage, if it is not in fact, sufficiently reinforced to undertake a southern move now. Without disclosing the Allied plans, it may be stated that co-ordination of all arms is the keynote of preparations for meeting the new threat. The Air Force will be fully employed to back up both the- naval and land forces when the clash comes.

Australian Volunteers STRENGTH DOUBLED THIS YEAR. CANBERRA, May 18. “The strength of the Volunteer Defence Corps has more than doubled in the past four months,” said the Minister for the Army, Mr. F. M. Forde. “The Corps nas also been substantially strengthened by the appointment of a number of fulltime officers, including some with militia force experience, and by the return to all States of other officers who have been trained in guerrilla warfare in Victoria. In the event of any attempt at .invasion of Australia, the Volunteer Defence Corps would be placed under operational and divisional army commanders," Mr. Forde said. “Although preference was being given to the A.I.F. and the <A».M.E. for equipment and uniforms, everything possible >is being done to speed up supplies for the Volunteer Defence Corps, especially units serving in vulnerable areas.”