DEFENCE OF PACIFIC

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 86, Issue 56, 7 March 1942, Page 5

DEFENCE OF PACIFIC

STRATEGY DISCUSSION MELBOURNE CONFERENCE J [By Telegraph— Pres* Association—Copy right.] t Sydney, March 4. Discussions made at thp War Council meeting which ended in a Melbourne hist Saurday, are ext _ pneted to have far-reaching effects on the defence strategy of the SouUi Pacific, including Australia and New Zealand. For security reasons the names of those who attended, apart irom the iNew Zealand Ministers, Messrs. Sumvan and Coates, and Australian representatives, were Kept secret. But it is • known that representatives of other ’■ nations were present. Australia, disappointed over the es- = Lablishment of the Pacific War Counj cil in London, appears to have at last j! secured a chance to put her own case 1 on the spot before representatives ot other nations. The result of the conference seem- ® ed to have pleased the Prime Minister, 1 Mr. Curtin, and the New Zealand rep- ■; resentatives. Although he declined “ to comment, Mr. Curtin appeared par--1 ticularly pleased over the attitude ' taken bv members of the council. It was assumed irom his own attitude ’ that the representatives of the Allied ; nations shared his view that a com--1 nletely realistic approach must be 7 made to the question of Australia’s de--1 fence and that they realised Australia’s immediate danger. Since it is certain communications will have to • be sent to overseas Governments, no • time was lost in quickly following up - the War Council’s decisions. Mr. s Curtin and probably the two greatest authorities on constitutional law in Australia, the Attorney-General. Dr. 1 Evatt, and a former Prime Minister, > Mr. Menzies, met to carry out secret ‘ instructions. t FROM CHINESE BASES? OFFENSIVE BY U.S. PIANES Washington, March 4. Lieut.-General Stillwell. former • military attache in Peking, has arrivi ed at Chungking on a special mission . for President Roosevelt. Informer quarters in Chungking believe that he is to collaborate with I Marshal Chiang Kai-shek in planning - an offensive in which United States . nlanes would attack from Chinese - bases within striking range of Tokio. Senator Tom Connally, chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, said to-day that the committee had been greatly encouraged after hearing the reports of Mr. Owen .attimore, political adviser to Marshal Chiang Kai-shek, and Mr. Manuel Fox. economic adviser to China. Senator Connally forecast that the Chinese armies might become a great offensive factor in the war. provided that America was able to deliver sufficient planes, tanks, and heavy guns to China. IMPORTANCE OF AIR FORCE U.S.A. ARMY REORGANISATION London, March 5. Mr. H. L. Stimson. United States Secretary of War, said'to-day that one of the primary objects of the reorganisation of the United States army was to put the air force in the important, position it now merits, seeing that this I war is largely an air war.