AMERICAN FEELING

Grey River Argus, 31 October 1942, Page 5

AMERICAN FEELING

On Solomons Prospects NOT UNANIMOUS. [Special to 'N.Z. Press Assn], (Rec. 1.18) SYDNEY, Oct. 30. At Pearl Harbour, the war correspondents have been told: “The battle for the Soilomons—where, outnumbered and under-supplied, the Americans are fighting enemy forces which are believed to include all of the Japanese warships that are not essential for the protection of home waters —is nearing a decisive stage. The correspondents at Pearl Harbour were also told that the magnitude of the enemy’s thrust puts the whole of the Solomon Islands in real and immediate peril. Another Peanl Harbour correspondent has quoted the United States Fleet Headquarters as believing that the enemv is mobilising big sea forces on the route between Pearl Harbour and Australia.

“We can hold, if they will keep sending in reinforcements- The Marines are tough, but we need faster and better fighter ’.planes,” said four United States Naw pilots, who passed through Honolulu on their wav home for more ’planes. Most of the fighting against the Japanese aircraft over Guadalcanar Island have been done by Grumman Wildcat ’planes, which were primarily. intended for carriers. The views of these four Navy pilots are not regarded as reassuring by the “New York Sun’s” Washington correspondent, Mr Glen Perry, who savs: “An analysis of Washington’s thinking on the probable outcome of the Solomon Islands fighting indicates there is a belief in probabilities of our side being forced, to 1 withdraw, and in possibilities of our being able to stay. This feeling began to grow when it became known that; Admiral • Ghormley had been sua*»rseded. The; fact that this change was made in the middle of the battle is a sufficient reason for thinking that the fight is not going well) If the Americans can stay in the Solomons, they can do Japan great harm; but Washington knows how big that “if” is—and Washington is waiting with the fingers of one hand crossed and the other hand firmly grasping a rabbit’s foot 1,”

A happier note is sounded by Mr Raymond Gram Swing, a prominent United States war news analyst, who says that in air and naval actions on Monday and Tuesday the enemv suffered setbacks which at least took the smile from the voice of the Toklo radio. A significant lessening of Tokio press confidence was also noted on Wednesday. - On Tuesday. Tokio was boasting of the destruction of the American Fleet, but on Wednesday, Japanese were admitting; that a costly battle was still going oil. Rival Strategies WAS MACARTHUR'S SUPERIOR ? (Rec. 8.50) SYDNEY, Oct. 30. In Australia and in the United

States the criticism of the conduct of the South Pacific war crystallises on the urgent need for a unified command in this theatre. .Nominating General MacArthur as the original logical choice as supreme commander, the Sydney “Daily Telegraph” says: If General MacArthur s plan to drive .the Japanese out of New Guinea and to push on to the Netherlands East Indies had been implemented, the Allies would have cut the flank of Japan’s advance towards India, and would have eliminated the threat to Australia and New Zealand and the South Pacific Island chain. . “The United States Navv’s plan for island hops from the Solomons was excellent,” says the “Tele""'’ r 'u.' “if the Allies had ships and equipment enough to push north 1 from the Solomons and from New Guinea simultaneously. But there has not been enough for both operations. General MacArthur is thwarted because he has not the naval command, and it is possible that' Admiral Halsey may be inhibited through the lack of troops and an insufficiency of land-based planes.”