American Military Mission at Auckland

Manawatu Times, Volume 68, Issue 209, 3 September 1943, Page 5

American Military Mission at Auckland

(Per Press Association.) AUCKLAND, Sept. 2. The most important American military mission which has visited the South and Southwest Pacific areas, arrived in Auckland to-day. It is headed by the United States Under-Secretary for War, Judge Robert P. Pattersou, and includes Lieut. General William S. Knudsen, Director of Production in the Office of Secretary of War. Judge Patterson said, shortly after the mission's arrival, 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 Leroy Lutes, Director of Operations at Headquarters ot the Services of Supply in Washington; Brigadier-General Boykin Cabell Wright, of the International Division of the Army Service Forces; Colonel Stanley Joseph Grogan, Deputy Director of the War Department Bureau of Public Relations; Julius H. Amberg, special assistant to tho Secretary or War; Colonel Carl D. Silverthorne, chief of the Pacific theatre section, Operations Division of the War Department General Staff at Washington; and Major Andrew J. Goodwin, a member of the Office of Under-Secretary for War. The mission came to New Zealand from Australia and was welcomed on arrival by the Minister of Defence, Don. F. Jones, Hon. W. Perry, M.L.C. (Minister in Charge of War Co-ordina-tion) and senior officers of the United States and New Zealand Services. * * The campaign in the Pacific will be stepped up,” said Judge Patterson in an interview shortly after his arrival in Auckland. “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 Judga Patterson, “to see United States servicemen, to consult with your Government and service leaders, and to study the prospect of an increasing flow of munitions to this area.” Asked wnether this last inten cion included additional aid for New Zealand, Mr. Patterson said he certainly intended to examine Lend-Lease deliveries as well as to study the general flow of war materials to combat areas. Saying he sometimes had an impression that America thought of the war in the Paeiiic as a sideshow and that the main issuo was Europe, Judge Patterson said fie would like to correct that impression if it existed. “There are not two wars going on,” said Judge Patterson. “It is all the same war ana it is of tremendous proportions. Strategical plans have 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 various theatres of war. The resources of America are great but it uas taken time to bring them into effective use. A year ago we had an army of hardly more than 2,500,000. To-day we have 7,000,000 in the army, more than 2,000,000 of them already overseas. Many more will be serving abroad by the end of the year.” Judge Patterson said that already pressure against the enemy in the nortn was steadily increasing and as that pressure intensified the war would move further and further away from Australia and New Zealand. Military operations were dependent on supplies and now the pipe lines between the Pacific combat areas and sources of supplies were being filled. Asked whether tue capture of Japanese oases in the Aleutians made it possible to bomb Tokio, Judge Patterson said: “The oombing of Tokio is coming just as sure as you’re born. Every step nearer we get to Japan brings that day closer.” Judge Patterson would not commit uimself to a statement on the strategy to be employed but he said: “We are in this war to stay and we are going to win it.”

While he was in Australia Judge Patterson had conferences with General MacArthur and he also revealed that during his tour he had had conferences with Admiral Halsey. Judge Patterson said he had visited New Guinea during his travels and had gone as far ns Buna. He said he had not seen anything of the Japs and smilingly admitted ue did not like them enough to want to see them. “I am very glad to be in New Zealand,” he said. “In Australia I was very favourably impressed by the war effort and I am sure i will find New Zealand also is excellent. I recall seeing New Zealand troops in France in the last war and there were no finer troops anywhere in this war. They have magnificently Kept up that reputation.”