JAVA VITAL POINT

Waikato Times, Volume 130, Issue 21654, 14 February 1942, Page 7

JAVA VITAL POINT

SCREEN FOR AUSTRALIA MORE AIRCRAFT NEEDED EVENTS IN THE PACIFIC (United Press Assn. — Flee. T>L t (Received Feb. 14, 12.3 p.m.) BATAVIA, Feb. 13 "If the Allies allow the Indies to become another Malaya, nothing can save Australia from direct attack within a matter of weeks,” said Mr Robert Allington, the Malayan Broadcasting Commission’s news commentator, who has arrived at Batavia from Singapore. "There is no menace to Australia until Java falls.” he continued. “Java is to Australia what Singapore has been to Java. The danger is that Australians will not see through the Japanese smokescreen that their attention will be concentrated on New Guinea, the Bismarck Archipelago and Timor to the exclusion of Java. “Holding Java would shorten the Pacific war by two years. Java can be defended if fighters and bombers arrive in time. Manpower also is needed, but aircraft must come first. Margin of Superiority "At no time did the Japanese in Malaya have superiority exceeding 20 per cent. The trouble was that they made it 500 per cent in vita) spots. A hundred and fifty modern fighter and 100 more bombers probably would have saved Malaya. Large numbers would be needed for Java, .but the problem is essentially the same.” Fierce fighting continued in Singapore today with little change in the position, announced the Malayan Broadcasting Commission on the island. Our artillery has been extremely active, shelling enemy positions with considerable success. A high rate of fire has been maintained. The main fighting has taken place around the reservoirs, which are still ni”* Viands The enemy is using the Johore causeway to bring up tanks and heavy argtillery. More Stubborn Resistance Japanese broadcasts heard at Singapore state that British troops are fighting more stubbornly than at # any time throughout the Malayan campaign. The Japanese admit that they are still some distance from the city limits. Thousands of evacuees from Singapore arrived at Batavia today. They said they had not seen the sky over Singapore for eight days because of incessant bombing. A Batavia communique states that telegraphic reports from Macassar, in the Celebes, indicate that the original announcement about a Japanese landing at Balangnipa was not correct. Recent reports show that last evening a harbour in the district oi Macarrer was still on fire as the result of the extensive destruction carried out. Because of this destruction, which has also been carried out v in South Celebes, the enemy will not find anything of use to him. Japanese Blunder No further reports have been received from other theatres of war in the Netherlands East Indies Archipelago. Enemy air activity was mainly conned to reconnaissance over the outer provinces. How the Japanese dive-bombed their own troops is told in a United States War Department communique Aggressive enemy patrol action has characterised sporadic fighting on the Batan peninsula in the past 24 hours, the message says. Enemy dive-bombers mistakenly bombed and machine-gunned their own infantry with heavy casualties. The victims of the erroneous attack were elements of the 102nd Japanese Regiment of General Akira Mara’s 65th Division. There is nothing to report in other areas of the Philippines.