BEING FORCED OPEN

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 79, 16 August 1944, Page 2

BEING FORCED OPEN

ROAD TO PHILIPPINES SUSTAINED RAIDS ON lIALMAHERA BASE DENIED TO JAPANESE Sydney. Aug. 15. The Japanese stronghold of Halmahera is crumbling under the weight of General MacArthur’s air attacks and the road to the Philippines is being forced wide open. The failure of the Japanese to retrieve this weakness will threaten the main line of defence of the enemy’s conquered empire in the South-West Pacific extending through Halmahera and the Philippines. Continued air attacks have immobilised enemy troops at Halmahera. practically neutralised airfields there and denied that base to Japanese maritime forces. Declaring this, to-day’s SouthWest Pacific communique adds that since the seizure of Biak. Noemfoor and Sansapor (in Dutch New Guinea. 250 miles from Halmahera and 620 miles from the Philippines) effective and sustained aerial assaults against enemy positions in the Dutch East Indies, especially air bases, have greatly weakened Halmahera bastion. The flexibility of this great base from which previously Japanese forces in all categories could be distributed rapidly to points where needed is now lost.—P.A. Special Australian Correspondent. RESIDENTS EVACUATE MANILA (Rcc. 10.30 a.m.) Chungking, August 15 Chungking radio, quoting Japanesecontrolled Manila radio, stated that residents arc voluntarily evacuating Manila because food is more abundant elsewhere. PRIZES OF WAR London, Aug. 15. President Roosevelt has issued a proclamation providing that the Government of Australia shall have jurisdiction over any prizes of war captured under the authority of Australia which may be brought into United States territorial waters for the use of Australia. The announcement said the United States was thus reciprocating Australia’s action as a co-bell'gerent in respect of United States prizes which are taken into Australian territorial waters.