PACIFIC POLICY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24828, 30 January 1942, Page 5

PACIFIC POLICY

POWERS OF THE COUNCIL AUSTRALIA DISSATISFIED VITAL POINTS NOT CLARIFIED SYDNEY, Jan. 29. "A section of the Federal Cabinet is dissatisfied with the statement on the Imperial War Cabinet made by Mr Churchill," says, the Daily Telegraph. The Deputy Prime Minister. Mr F. M. Forde, said in Melbourne that vital points were still outstanding. There were essential aspects on which the Government was awaiting advice from Mr Churchill. His statement to the House of Commons did not deal with matters awaiting settlement. . Ministers in Melbourne said Mr Churchill had been careful to say that Australia's voice would be " heard' That was not what Australia wanted Australia wanted not only a voice but 1 a vote and adequate executive power on the Imperial War Cabinet. Mr Churchill made no mention 0/ this being granted. Ministers said that for Australia to have only a voice in the British Cabinet would be little improvement on the existing arrangement. Either the Australian demand had been completely misunderstood or the British Government was- placing its own meaning on it as a convenient way out of a delicate situation. Mr Churchill also failed to say whether the Pacific War Council was to have full executive powers. The Government considered that the council must have full power to determine strategy and policy in the Pacific if it was to be of any use. The Prime Minister, Mr J. Curtin, interviewed in Perth, gave no indication that he was dissatisfied with Mr Churchill's references to Australia s position, and said he regarded Mr Churchill's speech as being in accord with the general purpose for which the whole British Commonwealth of Nations unitedly stood.

MEASURES AGAINST JAPAN ASSURANCE IN PARLIAMENT RUGBY. Jan. 28. Measures to re-establish the position against Japan are being given very first priority in Allied councils. Lord Moyne. Leader of the House, gave this assurance on behalf of the Government in the course of a House of Lords debate on the situation in the South-west Pacific. A large unity of command had been secured in this area, said Lord Moyne, and everything possible was being done to help Australia and New Zealand in their time of need, and help them to resist Japanese attacks in cas.e they should come on to the mainland. ' When Japanese aggression developed, he added, it was immediately met by a plan of reinforcements which had been carefully worked out in advance, and the effect of that action was already showing itself. From the time when the first ship reached Singapore with Hurricanes only 48 hours elapsed before the first of these were in the air ready for battle. The Prince of Wales and Repulse had been spared from the heavy burden of the Atlantic battle and sent out to do duty in the Pacific at the request of the dominions concerned. The loss inflicted on Japan in Macassar States by Netherlands East Indies and United States light forces and submarines showed that Allied sea power was already recovering from the shock of the initial disaster. Conditions in Malaya

Referring to criticism of the conduct of operations in Malaya, Lord Moyne refuted the suggestion that those who should have taken the situation in hand were the first to leave. Many leading Europeans, he said, "headed by Dr Evans, chief medical officer of Penang. stayed behind to look after the population and tend the wounded. He could give many instances of devoted and courageous work done by members of the Malayan Administration who stayed at their posts and in many cases paid for their devotion with their lives. He thought the Governor and the colonial service had been very unfairly treated. It seemed ungrateful under present conditions to attack Malaya, Lord Moyne concluded. Viscount'Bennett, former Prime Minister of Canada, in his maiden speech, expressed the hope that the Imperial War Cabinet would immediately come into being as a matter of course, in order that the vast overseas dominions might be able to find representation in it.

A tribute to the civil service in the Malayan war was meanwhile paid by the Colonial Under-secretary, Mr G. H. Hall, in reply to a House of Commons question. T£? rapid Japanese advance through Northern and Central Malaya, Mr Hall said, had led. of course, to quite abnormal conditions, and in such circumstances it would indeed be surprising if some mistakes had not been made. But the Colonial Secretary was satisfied that the civil service in Malava had acquitted itself with ability and devotion, and no doubt its members would continue to play with credit their part in the battle of Malaya.

VITAL IMPORTANCE COLONEL KNOX'S STATEMENT CHICAGO, Jan. 28. Addressing the Commerce Association, the Secretary for the Navy, Colonel Knox, said his recent speech was misunderstood by those who thought he implied that the Pacific war was of secondary importance. He said: "The war in the Pacific, the Atlantic, China, Malaya, Russia, and Libya is all one war, one world revolution, and one bid for mastery of the world. Hitler wants the United States to throw its growing strength into the Pacific, and will fight to w : n in the Atlantic and Pacific, and we dare not turn our back on either front, because these criminals are too good with daggers. We must not confuse history and strategy. The historic main enemy may not be the main strategic enemy. Tin refore, we cannot concentrate and defeat him alone." Colonel Knox said the navy had a gigantic task in simultaneously searching for the enemy in all the oceans, protecting the home coast, and keeping the sea lanes open. He added that men and material were reaching the increasingly hard-pressed fronts in the South Pacific

on January 12 Colonel Knox stated: "An early clash between the American ano Japanese navies is unlikely. I would not be frank with you if I leo. you to believe or to expect favourable dramatic developments of triumphant American full-scale naval engagements in the Pacific in the near future. The elements of distance, time, and the necessarily wide distribution of our naval forces preclude an early conclusive showdown with the Japanese Navy, but I do not mean to imply that the Pacific Fleet is idle. You will hear from it again and again when and where careful strategic considerations dictate. We " will suffer other reverses besides the severe losses at Pearl Harbour. Tke task of the British and American navies is maintenance of effective fighting strength in all seas." Colonel Knox stressed that the chief enemy is Germany, and added that as soon as Hitler's Germany is destroyed the whole Axis fabric will collapse.