DANGER SEEN

New Zealand Herald, Volume 79, Issue 24346, 7 August 1942, Page 3

DANGER SEEN

THE PACIFIC ZONE ENEMY ADVANCES CHECK TO THE ALLIES LOST OPPORTUNITIES (Special Australian Correspondent) (Reed. 9.10 p.m.) SYDNEY, Aug. 0 Efforts to awaken the United States to the dangers of Japan's "hidden offensive" in the Southwest Pacific are being made by American war correspondents writing from Australia. Stressing the sorry under-estima-tion of the danger to the Allies' Pacific strategy of pending Japanese moves, they emphasise that Australia, which offered opportunities for the development of a second front, has been allowed to degenerate to a "secondary front." Writing to the Christian Science Monitor, Mr. W. E. Lucas describes the Japanese in the past six months as burrowing like moles under a vast area bounded by an arc sweeping from I Timor to the Solomons and coming to the surface only occasionally to construct bases. Allied Impotence "The enemy's purpose is clear —to build bases to check any Allied move northward, and also to use them for nil assault against- Australia if this conies within the scope of Tokio's grand strategy," .Mr. Lucas says. "The success of this Japanese move is the measure of Allied impotence. The Japanese have been able to penetrate and consolidate, with the Allies able to do little to stop them." Mr. Lucas points out that each Japanese move has been seemingly insignificant when taken from the context, but the total result been io pin down the Allies to months of "offensive inactivity" while they try to build an offensive force. "American airmen are handicapped by flying aircraft inferior to Japanese planes," said Mr. William Dunn, the Columbia Broadcasting correspondent, in a radio talk from Australia. "They are supremely confident of their ability to do the job here, but emphasise that I they need planes to outily tlio Zeros." Fear ol Invasion The Sydney Morning Herald voices tlio fear that after overwhelming Port Moresby the Japanese forces may move against the Northern Australian mainland. While this may be exaggerated realism, there can be no over-estima-tion of the seriousness of the present position. Port Moresby and New Caledonia are the last Allied bases off Australia's east coast. If these fall, the possibility of launching an Allied offensive from Australia might be checked beyond the power of restarting, at least for a very considerable time. In the past 48 hours Australians have felt their sense of security engendered by the victories in the Coral Sea and at Midway Island slipping away from them. The present enemv moves are as great a menace to New Zealand's security as Australia's. Questions Being Asked Questions in the public mind here are: —In view of Allied air strength and Japanese sea battle defeats, how did the enemy manage to land at Gona? Why were the Allies not able to prevent him reinforcing the original small invasion force? How was he able in less than a fortnight to take command of a stretch of country extending 60 miles inland to the Ivokoda aerodrome and to infiltrate even beyond that point? The answers to these questions are eagerly awaited. Concerning the area to which the Japanese have now advanced, an American correspondent wrote: "There can be no excuse tor the failure here. It. is country made for defence." The ominous position in India as related to the South-west Pacific is widely stressed. "The Japanese hope to conquer India without a fight," says the Sydney Daily Telegraph in a leading article. "If India fell to the Japaneso a vast arinv, air force and fleet would be available for a direct assault on Australia. Meantime, wo are dangerously on the defensive." Call For Immediate Action A sharp warning note sounded by Mr. W. M. Hughes, who, as a member of the Australian War Advisory Council, must know the Allies' plan of strategy, is given wide prominence. "Our policy," he declares, "is following blindly the track which led to the downfall of .Malaya and all other countries which fell almost without effort before the onslaught of Japan." Calls are made for an immediate Allied offensive. "Is General MaeArthur getting all the planes, ships and equipment he needs?" asks the Telegraph, "or is he held back by men above him who shape and direct grand strategy? If he is being restrained, then this is the moment for the Prime Minister, .Mr. Curtin, to reaffirm —as unequivocally as be did before —Australia's belief that whatever happens in this theatre must affect the Allied cause everywhere." CLIMAX APPROACHING GENERAL BLAMEY CONFIDENT (Reed. 9.50 p.m.) SYDNEY, Aug. G At the height of the growing demand for offensive action against the Japanese before their expected onslaught on Port Moresby is launched, to-day's Allied Headquarters communique says: "Activity in all sectors was limited to reconnaissance." In spite of the absence of official news, it is generally believed events in the South-west Pacific are approaching a climax. General Sir Thomas Blarney, Commander of the Allied Land Forces in the South-west Pacific, told war correspondents that the Japanese forces making a land drive from Gona were members of a picked force trained in commando methods. He expected the Allied forces would be thoroughly equipped when the time came for them to go into battle. The supply of equipment was such that Australia was now almost out of the difficult position of even six months ago. He looked forward with confidence to the outcome of any emergency which might arise.