MILITARY MISSION

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXIII, Issue 236, 3 September 1943, Page 4

MILITARY MISSION

FROM UNITED STATES AMERICA'S PART IN; WAR (Press Assn.) AUCKLAND, Sept. 2. The most important American military mission which has visited . the South and South-Wcst Pacific areas arrived in Auckland to-day. ' It is headed by the. United States Under-Secretary for War (Judge R. P. Patterson) and includes Lieut.-General W. S. Knudsen (Director of Production in the office of the Secretary of War). Mr Patterson said that he and his colleagues intended to see United States servicemen and military installations and hold consultations with the New Zealand Government and Service leaders. - Other members of the mission, are Major-General L. Lutes (Director ot Operations, Headquarters Services ot Supply in Washington) BrigadierGeneral B. C. Wright (International Division, Army Service Forces), Colonel S. J. Grbgan (Deputy-Director of the War Department, Bureau of Public Relations), Mr J. H. Amberg (special assistant to the Secretary of War), Colonel C. D. Silverthorne (Chief of the Pacific Theatre Section, Operations Division, War Department General Staff, Washington;, and Major A. J. Goodwin (member of the office of the Under-Secretary for War). ■ The mission came to New Zealand from Australia and was welcomed on arrival by the Minister of Defence (Mr Jones), the Minister in Charge of War Co-ordination (Mi Perry) and senior officers of the United States and New Zealand Services.

"The campaign in the Pacific will be stepped up," said Mr Patterson in an interview. "Measures are now in hand which will result, in greatly increased activity in this area. You won't have long to wait now." "I am here," added Mr Patterson, "to see United States servicemen, to consult with your Government and service leaders, and to study the prospect of increasing the flow of munitions to this area." Asked whether this last intention included additional aid for New Zealand, Mr Patterson said he certainly" intended to examine Lease-Lend deliveries as well as to study the general flow of war materials to the combat areas. ; "WE ARE GOING TO WIN."

Saying ho sometimes had an impression that America thought of the war in the Pacific as a sideshow, and that the main issue was Europe, Mr Patterson said he would like to correct that impression if it existed. "There arc not two wars going on," he said, "lit is all the same war and it is of tremendous proportions. Strategical plans hatfe been mapped out from that point of view, since any other approach to the problem of defeating the vast military power of our enemy is manifestly impossible. According to this plan men and equipment are allocated to the various theatres of war. "Tho resources of America arc groat, but it has taken time to bring thorn into effectivo use. A year ago we had an army of hardly more than 2,500,000. To-day we have 7,000,000 in tho army, more than 2,000,000 of them already overseas. Many more will be serving abroad by tho end of the year." Mr Patterson said that already tho pressure against the enemy in the north was steadily increasing and as that pressure intensified tho war would move further and further away from Australia and New Zealand. Military operations wero dependent on supplies, and now the pipe linos between the Pacific combat areas and sources of supplies were being filled.

Asked whether the capture of Japanese bases in the'Aleutians made it possible to bomb Tokio, Mr Patterson said: "The bombing of Tokio is coming just as sure as you're born. Every stop nearer wc get to Japan brings that day closer." -, Mr Patterson would not commit himself to a statement on the strategy to be employed, but he said: "We are in this war to stay, and wc are going to win it."

Mr Patterson said he had visited New Guinea during his travels, and had gone as far as Buna. He said he had not seen anything of the Japanese, and smilingly admitted he did not like them enough to want to sec them. "I am very glad to be in New Zealand," he said. "In Australia I was very favourably impressed by the wai effort, and I am sure I will „find New Zealand's also is excellent. _ T. recall seeing Now Zealand troops in Prance in the last war, and there were no finer troops anywhere. In this war they have magnificently kept up that reputation."