FIGHT TO END

New Zealand Herald, Volume 79, Issue 24216, 6 March 1942, Page 5

FIGHT TO END

CONFIDENCE IN DUTCH FAR EAST REVERSES MORE FRANK CRITICISM (Reed. 11.10 p.m.) SYDNEY, .Mar. 5 "I give Java two weeks of life at the most," said the Daily Telegraph war correspondent, Mr. Tom Fairhall, who has returned to Sydney from the East Indies. "The Dutch will fight on to the end. They may be able to retreat to the hills and turn parts of the country into little Philippines. Their grand airmen will fly obsolete aeroplanes until they cannot take them off the ground. "The Allied Command in Java achieved little," Mr. Fairhall added. "According to Dr. van Mook, Lieu-tenant-Governor-General of the Indies, a complicated command was imposed on the Dutch. He said it impeded the Dutch defence. Even after Singapore fell there did not seem to be a determined effort to push British troops into the Indies. Japanese Commonsense "The Japanese success was due to the deadly simplicity of their tactics, their commonsense and their leadership. We were out-fought because of our red tape, blundering, scarcity of air power, lack of offensive spirit and the native fifth column. Unlike the Japanese, we showed little imagination. "Our troops properly trained in jungle warfare fought like tigers, but the reinforcements sent to Malaya were not trained in jungle technique. "I heard that we had 250 aeroplanes in Malaya when the war broke out. I often heard our air tactics severely criticised. I do not think any squadron fought the Japanese as an intact squadron. They sent up two or three at a time against strong Japanese bombers protected by fighters. They didn't have a hope. Ihe Japanese concentrated on our airfields and bombed them constantly. Good Enemy Bombing "The sinking of the Prince of Wales and Repulse was a perfect example of our air and anti-aircraft strength. There were more high-angle and antiaircraft guns on the Prince of Wales than in the whole of Singapore. "Japanese bombing is good and their bombers are beauties. _ Their antipersonnel bombs are terrific. They land and burst downward. They will get you if you are lying flat on the ground or even if you are in a shallow trench." LONG FIGHT POSSIBLE i j DUTCH CONSUL'S BELIEF [BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION] WELLINGTON, Thursday Expressing confident hope that the Dutch in Java would be able to hold up the enemy for a considerable time, thus enabling the United Nations to finish their _ preparations for a counteroffensive, the Consul for the Netherlands, M. M. F. Vigeveno, also stressed the need for Allied reinforcements now. "I believe and hope it will be possible for the defenders to hold on to part of the island for a considerable time, thus keeping large numbers of the enemy occupied, in the same way as the gallant Americans, under General Mac Arthur, are doing on Batan Peninsula," said M. Vigeveno. "This would be of tremendous value to the Allies, particularly Australia and New Zealand. The result of the Dutch effort in Java would, as must be obvious, be greatly influenced by the arrival of Allied reinforcements now." VICHY PROTEST UNITED STATES ASSISTANCE (Reed. 9.50 p.m.) LONDON, Mar. 5 The Vichy Government has protested to America against the United States agreement to assist the Free French movement under General De Gaulle in French Oceania. "The United States Government, by maintaining normal diplomatic relations with Vichy, automatically recognises French sovereignty over all French territory.*' The German radio broadcast a similar statement from Vichy and described it as official. 1