Washington’s Sober View Of Marshalls

Northern Advocate, 13 December 1943, Page 4

Washington’s Sober View Of Marshalls

NEW YORK, December 12. The devastating attacks by powerful American naval task forces presage an early invasion of the Marshall Islands, says the Washington correspondent *of the "New York Times.” Navy and army authorities, however, take an extremely sober view of the task of winning the Marshalls, pointing out that it would be the first invasion of what might be called Japanese soil.'-The-Americans’ great strategical, advantage lies in their power of offensive. For over a year, experts point out, the Japanese have had scores of bases to defend and must keep their forces divided, whereas the Americans are free to concentrate their forces overwhelmingly against a chosen objective. Naval circles in Washington are exultant at the manner in which Admiral Nimitz’s surface units and carrier-based planes are whittling down the Japanese central Pacific. At the same time, certain Washington authorities refuse to accept the theory of Japan being at bay. For example, the War Department’s official line apparently depicts a strong central Japan, heavily protected by interlocking bases and interior lines of supply. However, it is impossible to determine how much of this line is actual strategic conviction and how much is tempered by the psychological belief that the American public should expect the-worst in the Pacific. • Mili Atoll Raided A Navy communique states that Liberators dropped. 15 .tons of bombs on Mili atoll in the Marshalls on Thursday. Bombers were attacked by approximately 20 Zeros, four of which were shot down, three probably destroyed and one damaged. We suffered only slight material damage with a few men wounded. Two Zeros dropped six aerial bombs at the Liberators without results. The Nauru Attack A Navy communique from Pacific headquarters states that American .'battleships and carriers which bombarded Nauru on December 8 started large fires in the target areas and destroyed nine planes on the ground and one in the air. - We Host two aircraft, and one of our destroyers received a hit from enemy shore batteries, suffering minor damage.. • : Navy reconnaissance Liberator strafed a medium' cargo vessel' arid its escorting i patrol vessel near Jaluit hwi': Deceriiber 10.