SOME ADMISSIONS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 21 April 1942, Page 3

SOME ADMISSIONS

MADE BY JAPANESE & GERMANS EFFECT OF AMERICAN RAIDS. ON TOKIO AND OTHER TARGETS. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 9.35 a.m.) RUGBY, April 20. The absence of news from Allied sources about the air raids on Japanese cities is regarded as confirming the view that the raiders i were American planes, operating from aircraft-carriers, as these would'maintain radio silence while in proximity to the enemy. The following details are taken from Japanese and German broadcasts: The raids began soon after midday on Saturday, when Tokio and Yokohama were visited by more than sixty planes. Many bombs were dropped on the outskirts of both towns, where thousands of factories are situated. Two hours later, the port or Kobe and the industrial city of Nagoya were hit. Some damage is admitted by the Japanese, who said fires were caused at Nagoya ■and Kobe by large numbers of incendiary bombs, and communications were interrupted. Factories were burned down at Tokio. Alarms again sounded at Tokio early yesterday morning and throughout Central Japan yesterday. “The Times” writes: “Enough has come from the Japanese official spokesman, affirming, denying and exhorting, to justify the inference that their people at' least have been badly startled at the rude break in their hitherto unbroken immunity from the kind of destruction their war lords have inflicted on other nations.” Discussing strategic aspects, “The Times” says: “If the attacks were delivered from aircraft-carriers, it means that for the first time since the disaster at Pearl Harbour the American Navy is again in a position to operate within striking distance of Japanese home bases. In the first and most favourable phase of their war the Japanese were able, thanks to their treacherouslyseized advantage, to hurl their forces in many directions at once, without a thought for security behind their lines. That phase is ended and henceforward they have to think ' of their home waters and inflammable wooden cities. As the striking power within range of , Japan is built up by the factories of the Allies, there is good reason to hope that the strain will be felt when the needs of their advanced armies and fleets,

which are engaged in their main offensive, are most acute.” “The Manchester Guardian” writes: “In attacking Japan the Americans entered a new stage in their raiding policy. At first they set about reinforcing the North Australian mainland and in protecting their operations. They then made guerilla raids on Japan’s communications in and around the Marshall and Gilbert Islands. The “Manchester Guardian” speculates: “The Americans could choose between two methods of approach. If the bombers flew all the way, the distances arc great and if the attack is off the sea the carriers must make a long trip from Pearl Harbour or some other distant base to a chosen point near Japan —the same journey the Japanese carriers and aircraft made when they assailed Pearl Harbour, but if the Americans attack Japan from carriers they run a greater risk than the Japanese did on December 7, for the Americans were caught napping whereas one must assume that Japan could not now be surprised.” AN ITALIAN ASSERTION. The Italian newspaper “Gazetta del Popolo” asserted in an editorial that the American planes which raided Japan were based on Russian territory and it predicted “realistic developments” in the Russo-Japanese relations in consequence. The paper further cited the Moscow “Pravda’s” “increasingly menacing tone toward Japan” as proof cf its allegations.