PUZZLING ENEMY

New Zealand Herald, Volume 80, Issue 24535, 18 March 1943, Page 3

PUZZLING ENEMY

JAPAN'S INTENTION'S PREDICTION IMPOSSIBLE (Reed. 7.10 p.m.) NEW YORK, March 10 Military leaders in the Pacific have just about given up trying to figure out what the Japanese will do in any given set of circumstances. This is the conclusion of Mr. Frank Bartholomew, vice-chairman of the United Press of America, who is convinced, after a 22,000 miles' tour of Pacific battle areas, that "the more you study first hand the battle psychology of the Japanese soldier the more you realise you know nothing about it." Mr. .Bartholomew says: "Sometimes the Japanese will keep fighting when he is hopelessly cornered. At other times he will suddenly quit when there is no apparent reason." He quotes General Herring, the Australian commanding the Allied ground forces in New Guinea, as saying concerning the mental and physical make-up of the individual Japanese soldier: "He is a strong, stupid, little beast,. He has no 'imagination and does exactly as he is told. All his military schooling is along the positive side —how to advance, but nobody has told him what to do when ho finds he cannot advance. "Japanese field commanders send nothing but optimistic reports to Tokio. If an officer were in a dangerous position and sent a realistic report in order to get help to extricate his men he would be told he had failed the Emperor and would do away with himself. Few commanders seem willing to risk that disgrace, so they fight on stubbornly iu completely hopeless situations and unit by unit we wipe them out." Another senior A.f.F. officer told Mr. Bartholomew that a Japanese unit never surrendered as such. The largest group captured was 50 or GO at Buna, and they were mostly Korean labour troops. Lieutenant - General Eichelberger, American commander in Papua, is credited with exclaiming: " Why do they hang on—little animals—and make this war unnecessarily bloody? Because they have no instructions to the contrary. Their position is hopeless, yet we must kill every man." MEETING THE THREAT NEED FOR MORE PLANES (Special Australian Correspondent) (Reed. 0.15 p.m.) SYDNEY, March 17 The intensified Japanese efforts north of Australia are commanding increasing attention, both from America and Britain. The mqst sober Australian view remains that the enemy concentrations are intended primarily for defence, but that they could be converted quickly for offence if a favourable opportunity were presented. This view is supported by the Glasgow Herald, which says: "It is difficult to see what attraction Northern Australia presents for the Japanese. The enemy moves are more likely to be part of their general plan for establishing positions to thwart localised Allied action." However, in Washington, the deputychairman of the House Naval Affairs Committee, Mr. Warren Magnason, has said one or the greatest emergencies of the war may be shaping in the South Pacific. He added his voice to the growing demands of Congressmen that more planes and other war equipment must I be given to General Mac Arthur to meet any threat to North Australia. "Our force in the South-west Pacific is so small that only a military genius like General Mac Arthur could fight tbe splendid delaying actions he is conducting," said Mr. Magnason. "A reversal of the grand strategy agreed upon a year ago is not sought, but I do not believe allocations were ever intended to favpur the European sector to the extent now being carried out. Enthusiasms for big European plans have led to blind spots in the Pacific." The New York Times emphasises that all the Allied victories in the Pacific have been defensive and that they have not been followed up by any determined Allied advance. "The mission of Generals Kenne.v and Sutherland (General MacArtliur's Chief-of-Staff, who is accompanying his air commander), is to plead especiallv for air strength," adds the paper. "'The Arafura Sea area, in which the Japanese are now. concentrating, is unsuitable for naval defence. General Mac Arthur is well aware that if the enemy plan to strike from this flank their move must be anticipated and overwhelmed in the air." SUBMARINE SUCCESSES i Reed. 6.5 p.m.) WASHINGTON, March 10 A United States Navy communique states that submarines have reported the following results against the enemy in the Pacific and Far East: One destroyer, one large cargo vessel, one large transport and one medium-sized tanker were all sunk, one medium-sized cargo vessel, one medium-sized tanker and one small cargo vessel were damaged. None of these actions has been announced in any previous communique. FOOD FOR GREECE (Rccd. 5.35 p.m.) LONDON, March 1G The Parliamentary Secretary to tbo Ministry of Economic Warfare, Mr. Dingle Foot, replying to a question in the House of Commons, said that according to the latest information relief food stuffs imported into Greece through the blockade had been distributed without interference from the occupying authorities. Monthly shipments to Greece included condensed milk and, in addition, vitamin tablets had also been approved, though none had vet; been shipped. EASTER HOLIDAYS 'CANBERRA, March !T Good I'Yiday and Easter Saturday will be holidays for all Australian workers who are ordinarily entitled to them, including those who are engaged on war production. On Easter Monday only essential war workers will work, but they will receive the penalty rates prescribed by their awards.