Nelson Evening Mail MONDAY, AUGUST 10. 1942 WANTED: AN ALLIED SPEARHEAD

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 77, 10 August 1942, Page 4

Nelson Evening Mail MONDAY, AUGUST 10. 1942 WANTED: AN ALLIED SPEARHEAD

i WHEN 4000 people packed the Sydj ney Town Hall on Friday to call | for the early opening of a second ! front in Europe they showed discernment not always credited to lay | opinion. They were, however, optij mistic in naming 1942 as a possible i year of Axis defeat. As we have said before, the decision about where and when to strike must be a military one, not just a response to mass agitation. But look at the reasoning behind the Sydney resolution: an invasion of Europe was in the interests of Australia’s safety; the decisive blow against the Axis must be delivered against the Axis hordes in Europe. And this came from a meeting in Australia, not in Britain. It is not easy for people who have had Japanese submarines in their harbour and among their coastal shipping, Japanese shells in their streets and Japanese bombers over the outposts of the Commonwealth to say in effect that these dangers are only secondary to the supreme task of striking at the heart of the archenemy, Nazi Germany. In doing so they are tacitly implying that, if the choice lay between concentrating ofI l’ensive strength in Australia to roll back Japan and diverting it to Europe to lay Hitler low in the shortest possible time, then let it go to Europe. The corollary is, that if the Commonwealth is now ready and able to defend itself, they are prepared to risk a Japanese invasion attempt. In this view and all it implies they have weighted the fundamental issues more correctly than their own Mr Hughes, who foresees another Malaya in Australia unless something is done, or than those who are calling for a much greater share of armed strength for MacArthur from the common pool. It appears, too, that their appraisal of the chief danger spots in what is an indivisible world war approximates that of the United Nations’ grand strategy, for it now transpires that Australia has received from the United States only a fracj tion of the armed strength formerly j supposed. That more American war j production than was thought has ! been going elsewhere is a significant | pointer to the Churchill-Roosevelt decisions about the relative importance of the various theatres. Mr Curtin, who has called long and loudly for help to Australia, seems, to accept the priority decision implied in the announcement. He would like more. Who wouldn’t? But the plain truth is that there must come an end to that dispersal of United. Nations’ strength which has not so! far brought conclusive results on; any front. As one American news-: paper says, we must stop scattering our lire. This could not be done before because the defences of several, j parts of the different theatres, in- 1 | eluding Australia and New Zealand,' ; had to be built up to reasonable; j strength. If this has been done with: a fair margin of safety then it is' I time the United Nations set about or-j

I gamsing an offensive spearhead as close as possible to the heart of the , monster we seek to slay. : Along with this is the central necessity for seeing that Russia’s j power to resist and iiit back is susI tained and increased. Hitler’s energy i is at present concentrated on knockj ing her out of the war. Soon he may i have Japan helping him by striking in Siberia. Britain and the United States must strain every nerve to sec that they do not succeed. Uncertainties about Japan's intentions add to present difficulties. She is quite capable of sabre-rattling north of Australia while forging ahead with preparations for her next real big stroke from Manehukuo and Mongolia. If she is serious about a further drive south then it is sea j and air power on which we 1 must primarily depend to smash her armadas. These forces of the | United Nation.-,—principally Ameri- ; can—are now nipping at her outer-j most tentacles in the Aleutians and i in the Solomons. Such action is encouraging. It is probably designed to keep her from creeping further south on tlie one hand as well as to hinder her preparations against Siberia on the other. In no sense, however, are these blows preliminaries to a big counter-offensive from Australia. It seems now that this must wait pending bigger moves elsewhere. Providing our defensive position is sound, most people in New ; Zealand, asked to decide between a . major offensive from Australia 1 against Japan and one from Britain ; against Hitler’s Europe, would come to the same conclusion as did the ; four thousand people in Sydney. It i will be a great day when we see ! sharp offensive spearheads thrusti ing forward on both these important j fronts. In the meantime there must J be priority for Europe if the Axis I is going to be hit where the blows j will hurt most.