ALLIED STRATEGY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 77, 24 October 1942, Page 5

ALLIED STRATEGY

DIVERSION IN SOUTH PACIFIC Boston, Oct. 21. “Don’t lull yourselves into any comforting idea that we are on the offensive,” the “Christian Science Monitor’s” correspondent. Joseph Harsch, told the Boston Advertising Club. He added: "It is true the marines have won a foothold in the Solomons and our allies have stopped the enemy, but nowhere have we or the Allies even begun to push the enemy back.” Mr Harsch sounded a solemn warning that people should not be surprised if the Americans were overwhelmed and thrown out of the Solomons. “On the other hand, if we do get thrown out it will constitute a strategic success, though a tactical defeat,” he said. “This is because we can only be thrown out by a heavy diversion of Japanese forces from menacing India, China, or Siberia. If we can create such a diversion we will have practically saved one of the three other areas.” Mr Harsch declared that the greatest danger to Allied military operations in the Far East was that the Japanese would go to India, Russia and Siberia. “Those are places where the Japanese could achieve the quickest success,” he said. “The place in the whole Pacific and Far East where we can absorb the most punishment is in the New Zea-land-Australian island area. “That has been developed as an American base. It is within reach of the Pacific Fleet and Pearl Harbour. It is the strongest centre of Allied or United Nations’ force. Therefore, it is very m'uch to our advantage to have a Japanese attack come in the direction where we are in the best possible position to absorb it.” Mr Harch said that the original move in the Solomons was made deliberately to draw Japan off the backs of the Chinese and Russians and perhaps to save India. —P.A.