PLANS FOR RECAPTURE

Waikato Times, Volume 130, Issue 21687, 25 March 1942, Page 3

PLANS FOR RECAPTURE

HOPES OF PHILIPPINES (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. CODyrlgftt) WASHINGTON, March 23 Mr Francis Sayre, American High i Commissioner in the Philippines, has ‘arrived at Washington. He presented President Roosevelt with a sword formerly belonging to a Japanese 'general killed in the Philippines. Mr Sayre declared to press representatives that he doubted if the Japanese \*ould make an all-out attempt at present to capture the fortress of Corregidor, on the Batan Peninsula, because of the high price they would have to pay for it. The Japanese would concentrate on Northern Australia. He emphasised that the recapture of the Philippines j would be a tremendous task, because of the great distances and problems of communications, but everything possible was being done to get material there. Mr Sayre asserted that General MacArthur was transferred to Australia “specifically to make sure we get back to the Philippines and drive out the Japanese.” He stressed the vital importance of reinforcing General MacArthur in Australia, from which base it was hoped to wage the fight for the eventual recapture of the Philippines. This would mean straight-out fighting, since there was no backdoor to the islands. Mr Sayre disclosed that six and a-half tons of gold that had been moved to the Corregidor fortress has been sent to the United States.