The Pahiatua Herald PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING MONDAY, JANUARY 4, 1943 DRAW YOUR BLINDS—7.30 p.m. DEFENSIVE OFFENSIVE.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XLXII, Issue 15239, 4 January 1943, Page 2

The Pahiatua Herald PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING MONDAY, JANUARY 4, 1943 DRAW YOUR BLINDS—7.3O p.m. DEFENSIVE OFFENSIVE.

• Du ring the last few days there have been several messages concerning conduct of the wiUT against Japan and it would appear that there is an appreciable volume of opinion in . Australia and in China which heads that prosecution of iho * conflict against Nippon is re-! legated to the background m | the grand strategy of the United Na- i lions, in the case of China, Chung- J king is seriously dissatisfied with I what is regarded as a minor role being assigned to China. The Chinese ! representatives who have been mem- ! bei’s of a mission to Washington field the opinion that there is little likelihood of a large-scale offensive in the near future but merely continuance of the present guerrilla type of warfare in the Pacific and China. Madame Clnang Kai-shek—-and it is safe to assume that she reflects the views of the Generalissimo —is attempting to arouse demauds in the opening of the Burma Road immediately and the sending of stjili greater supplies' to China as the prelude to air* on a vast scaie against Tokio itself, in Australia the leeinig as widespread that the lialbmg of the enemy s soutnward drive was in itseii a victory buit after the crucial stage when the Japanese were forced to accept defeat in the ■solomoils and J\ew Guinea our aggression became luke-warm u»nd .s enabling the enemy to consolidate his gains in the Netherlands East Ludies and further noxth. This consolidation, Australians assert, is so feverish yet unopposed that the wax is as a consequence needlessly prolonged. The enemy is in a position to entrench himself very strongly while supplies of material for the Pacific are said to nave diminished steadily. On the other hand there is strong belief that fittfe can be done to assist China and to attack Japan nearer homo in other quarters until such time as the Mediterranean is cleared and material can be poured into C’hiang Kai-shek's domains via India. Air Curtin’s views however will be more readily accepted here than those of the extremists in the above-mentioned schools of thought. He does not seek a complete reversal of Alped war strategy but only a revision; bus contention is based 011 hhe# assertion that eveu a comparatively small diversion of strength to the Pacific m 110 way affecting operations in other theatres would swing the delicately poised situation in the Allies’ favour and permit the early capture of areas which the Japanese aie now busily makmg into strongpomts. In ull probability we may see a greater activity in the Pacific before wo New Year has progressed very far despite the imminence of the fateful struggle for the Mediterranean at Tunis and other parts of Tunisia.