WILL JAPS GIVE IN?

Grey River Argus, 15 August 1944, Page 5

WILL JAPS GIVE IN?

WITHOUT INVASION Might he Starved Out / U.S. LEADERS’ OPINIONS LAus. Sr N.Z. Press Ass" 1 (Rec. 10.40) PEARL HARBOUR, August 13. Admiral Nimitz, at a Press conference, indicated thait it wa> his belief that Japan might capitulate without an invasion of the Japanese homeland. He said, however, that occupation of Japan would be necessary to ensure peace. He said: inis war is a new experience foi the Japanese. In recent times they have been on the winning side. We do not know how much they can take before throwing in the sponge. He pointed out that because of great distances involved it hardly seemed possible to deliver a bomb tonnage in Japan such as that which had been delivered into Germany and occupied Europe. „ ~, Mr Elmer Davis, US. War Publicity Chief, also attended the Press conference, after returning from the Marianas. He suggested .it would be possible to starve the Japanese out, because virtually all their food was imported. Admiral Nimitz agreed that a sea blockage would go a long way towards bringing Japan down. He said: We will put the heat on as hard and fast as we can.

Admiral Nimitz has just returned from a visit to advanced positions in the Mariana and Marshall Islands. He declared he was anxious to move his headquarters to the fighting area. He reported that (he Japanese had lost 52,323 dead and 3022 prisoners. In the invasions of the Gilbert, Marshall and Mariana Islands there had been 5903 Americans killed.