LONG PACIFIC WAR

Grey River Argus, 26 January 1943, Page 5

LONG PACIFIC WAR

UNLESS AID COMES The Australian View [Aust. & N.Z. Cable Assn.] SYDNEY, Jan. 24. Australia’s official review of the war against the Japanese in the Pacific will be placed before the United Nations in a special Australian Duy broadcast to be made by the Prime Minister (Mr J. Curtin), at 9.30 (New Zealand time) to-night (Tuesday). His speech will be relayed by the 8.8. C. A number of transmissions have been arranged primarily for British and American listeners. It is believed that Mr Curtin will stress the belief that the war may be long and drawn out, unless the United Nations reinforce their striking power in the South Pacific Comment on the war in the Pacific was made to-day by the “Sydney Morning Herald” in an editorial review of the Papuan campaign now successfully concluded. It says. From the long-term view, the war picture for the Allies in the Pacific shows many hopeful features However Australia and New Zealand have not to concern themselves immediately with the long-range policy, but with checking and repulsing an implacable and swarming foe For these tasks, all the aid the United Nations is able to send to this theatre will be needed. “However little the Japanese nia\ relish the taste of defeat, they are unlikely to regard the abortive invasion of Papua as wasted enterprise,” says the “Herald.” ‘ Their losses have been far greater than ours but must be measured in relation to their present vast preponderance of trained -soldiery. Papua is merely a geographical designation, not a military entity, and the Japanese still hold Lae, Salamaua, and other bases northward of the great island of New Guinea. These points they had been steadily reinforcing, while their Buna-Gona troops weie fighting a delaying action to the last man. Australians should realise the continuing strength of the enemy position in the great ate extending around this country’s north. Particularly in the north-east, the Japanese were again mustering great strength in men, ’planes and_ ships, i rom Rabaul and its subsidiary bases, enemy aircraft particularly were operating with renewed menacing vigour.