THE PACIFIC WAR

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25176, 17 March 1943, Page 2

THE PACIFIC WAR

PROBABLE DURATION AMERICAN OPINION (Rec. 11 p.m.) NEW YORK, Mar 15. ‘‘lf you were to travel some 11,000 miles south-west of San Francisco and have a first-hand look at the combat points along the 5000-mile battle front of the Pacific war you would realise what Australian and American leaders mean when they say that time runs in favour of Japan,” declares Mr Frank Bartholomew, vice-president of the United Press of America, who recently concluded a tour of the Pacific war “ Men who have tried conclusions with the Japanese at every opportunity during the past year—General MacArthur Admiral Nimitz, Admiral Halsey and Lieutenant-general Emmons—are’ believed to be unanimous in the heartening conclusion that the Japanese can be defeated in a relatively short time after the men, ships, planes, and equipment now sent to Africa and Europe can be diverted to the Pacific. The composite opinion of these men seems to be that the war can be ended by the invasion of Tokio in the winter of 1945, provided the European Axis Powers are conquered by 1944, which, competent authorities believe is the earliest practicable date. “If the European war runs into a stalemate, however, the majority opinion among the American military leaders in the Pacific is that it will take between 5 and 10 years to defeat Japan. In that event time would run heavily in the Japanese favour. The enemy would be able to sit back behind his outer perimeter defences and digest his fabulously nch loot in Malaya and the Dutch East Indies. Mr Bartholomew says the Japanese are already getting oil from the conquered territories, and that rubber and tin production is functioning again. “If the United Nations permit this to continue,” he says, “ they will win the war against Japan the hard way. It will be particularly hard if a stalemate exists in Europe and the United States is forced to continue fighting on several fronts. It would call for the maximum in civilian sacrifices in America. A great increase in our production of war materials would be necessary, and we would have to raise an army calling every available man up to 45.”