DANGER UNDIMINISHED

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 77, 30 April 1942, Page 5

DANGER UNDIMINISHED

In Canberra to-day the Minister of Air, Mr Drakeford, gave a warning that Australia must be prepared for enemy air raids on a scale exceeding anything since the first raid on Darwin. when more than 90 planes participated. He stressed the need for reinforcements to meet Japan’s growing strength within striking distance of north Australia. ATTACK ON AERODROME AT LAE A South-West Pacific communique states: “Against heavy anti-aircraft fire our air force successfully attacked an enemy aerodrome at Lae, destroying a large ammunition dump. “We sustained no losses. “At Port Moresby, eight enemy bombers, escorted by 14 Zeros, attacked an aerodrome. Our fighters in- ! tervened and damage was slight.”

ATTACK ON AUSTRALIA Prime Minister's Warning Canberra, April 29. In spite of Allied air successes in the far north, Australia as yet has been unable to weaken substantially the enemy’s position in the regions which have been occupied by the Japanese in their southward advance. This warning was given by the Prime Minister, Mr Curtin, in the House of Representatives to-day. He added : “Japan is still able, almost at will, to reinforce the 1 imor and New Guinea areas with men and aircraft. Ihe Japanese are still firmly established in New Guinea and other islands to the north and north-east of Australia, and common sense dictates that we face the fact that Japan will do everything in an attempt to render Australia impotent as a base for an Allied offensive.” Mr Curtin also revealed that strong additional United States reinforcements had arrived in Australia. “The Government,” he concluded, “regards an outright Japanese attack on Australia as a constant and undiminished danger.”