"UNDER WAY"

New Zealand Herald, Volume 79, Issue 24194, 9 February 1942, Page 5

"UNDER WAY"

ALLIED MOVEMENTS AID FROM AMERICA AMPLE EVIDENCE SOON (Heed. 5.35 p.m.) SYDNEY, Feb. 8 "1 do not suggest that the Allies will tamely allow themselves to be beaten right back upon Australia before thinking of taking the offensive, " said the Minister of the Army, Mr. Forde, speaking at the launching of another Tribal class destroyer in a New South Wales dockyard. "Many great movements of which I cannot speak are even now under way, and many great decisions, secretly made, are being as secretly carried out. We may yet be the principal offensive base froifi which ultimately the Allies will embark upon the reconquest of free Asia and a free Pacific." Praising the United States' aid, .Mr. Forde said few details could be released now, but ample evidence of American aid would be apparent before many months. The Australian shipbuilding industry must not be allowed to fade away as it.did after the last war. The industry must endure, as it was necessarily interwoven with the long-range defence policy of Australia. BORNEO OPERATIONS JAPANESE PENETRATION (Reed. 7.45 p.m.) NEW YORK, Feb. 7 The Tokio official radio says the Dome! news agency reports that the Japanese have captured Tanadgrogot, 60 miles south-west of Balik Papan, also that a force operating on the east coast of British Borneo captured Lahaddatu, 60 miles north-east of Tavvao. A Batavia communique states that reliable reports indicate that Samarinda (Borneo), about 60 miles north of Balik Papan, has now been occupied by the Japanese. Over various places . in Java, such as Semarang, Madioen and Magetan, enemy fighters carried out reconnaissance flights. Slight reconnaissance activity took place over south-east Borneo and also near Medan. JAVA SEA ACTION UNCONFIRMED ENEMY CLAIM (Reed. 5.35 p.m.) NEW YORK, Feb. 7 The Tokio official radio says Imperial Headquarters claimed that a Japanese submarine sank a large enemy destroyer in the Java Sea. The Tokio official radio states that navy planes sighted an enemy fleet in the Java Sea, and claims they sank one Dutch and one American cruiser, also a ship of 5000 tons. The action, it is claimed, occurred 30 miles south of Kangeang Island. The Dutch authorities have no confirmation of this engagement. A Tokio communique broadcast several hours later gives an entirely different version, and says the Japanese sank two Dutch destroyers and also heavily damaged one Dutch cruiser and one American warship of the Marbleliead type. The Washington Navy spokesman says there is no information there regarding the Japanese claims. PHILIPPINE QUISLING VAIN APPEAL TO DEFENDERS (Reed. G. 30 p.m.) WASHINGTON, Feb. 7 The War Department communique says General Emilio Aguinaldo, Philippine insurrection leader, has joined the Japanese invaders in an appeal to General Mac Arthur to surrender, which has been ignored. It is said that Aguinaldo is apparently put forward as a sort of Philippine Quisling. Japanese appeals contained in pamphlets dropped from the air have caused considerable amusement to the American and Filipino defenders of Batan. BUILT IN CANADA SHIP ARRIVES IN BRITAIN (Reed. 8.15 p.m.) LONDON, Feb. 7 The first ship to be built in Canada for the British Government, the Fort Duville Marie, has arrived in a British port with a cargo of munitions, grain and apples, says the British official wireless. She is a 7000-ton vessel and was launched last October, being com pleted well ahead of schedule. Three more ships for Britain have since been launched in Canada and three more are on the stocks. The Fort Duville Marie, with a crew of 47. crossed the Atlantic in a convoy.