ADMIRAL HALSEY IN N.Z

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XLXII, Issue 15242, 7 January 1943, Page 3

ADMIRAL HALSEY IN N.Z

CONFIRMS 1943 VICTORY PREDICTION BESTIAL CONDUCT OF JAPS CONTINUING CONFIDENCE OF ALLIES. Electric Telegraph—Press A: .uclatiuu ALCIvLAND, Januarv 6. Interviewed at Auckland during the visit he has just made to New Zealand, the Commander-in-Chief ot the South Pacific area, Admiral William Halsey, stood confidently to his recently cabled prediction of a complete Allied victory iu 1943. “That is right,” he said when a senior United States Navy officer leal the cabled message to him. “Wo have 363 days left to fulfil my prediction and we are going to do. it.”

Asked how Japan was going to he attacked, Admiral Halsey said: T envisage that if these beasts are going to be made to give in they are going to. be attacked from ail directions. They will be attacked from the main Land of China and from the Pacific Ocean. They are going to wish they had died when they were all babies.’

(Questioned whether he was satisfied with the progress of operations against the Japs, lie replied: “We have their measure in the air, on and under water and on the land. When we first started out against them 1 hold, that one. of our men was the equal oi three Japs. 1 have now increased this to 20. “They are not supermen although they try to make us believe they are. They are just low monkeys, and 1, say monkeys he.-ause i cannot say what 1 would like to call them.”

Referring to the atrocities that he mentioned in his recently cabled statement, Admiral Halsey said: “There is jhenty of evidence. We have it and the atrocities will be properly repaid.’ Of the atrocities in combat in the Solomons he said: “The most frequent is perpretated when an American soldier, sailor, or airman, out of his humanity, tries to aid a Jap who is either w r ounded or trying to seem wounded. The way the Jap meets his kindness is with a hand grenade. That is right in line with their apish or bestial instincts," he said. “Use which word you like.” Asked whether the Japs’ naval tactics were difficult to meet, Admiral Halsey said: “Like everything else about them they are tricks, but D °t too hard to fathom. There is nothing to be worried about in tlieir tactics. Any normal naval officer can beat them and lick them.”

“What do you expect the Japs next, move will be?” Admiral Halsey was asked. “Japan’s next move will be to retreat,” he said. “A start has been made to make them retrqat, and they will not be able to stop going back."

Asked by a reporter if be agreed that the Allies in th e Pacific were in a much different position than they were a year ago, Admiral Halsey said: “I’ll say w© ar© in a different position. Full use has been made of th e time siuce we began to move forward.”

Questioned whether the forces in the combat area under his command were nuw confident of the future, Admiral Halsey characteristically said: “I would not say that they were now confident. There is a feeling of continuing confidence.”