MONDAY, MAY 25, 1942. OUTLOOK IN PACIFIC

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 121, 25 May 1942, Page 4

MONDAY, MAY 25, 1942. OUTLOOK IN PACIFIC

JN both Australia and New Zealand much progress has been made in recent months in strengthening defences, and confidence has grown in the ability of both to protect their own territories and also the areas in the Pacific for which they are responsible. Supplies and equipment have arrived in encouraging quantities, and the human forces for whose use they have been sent are steadily paining in proficiency and confidence. Confidence has grown in the general public also, and the apprehensions of a few months ago that the defence forces in this part of the world, like those which stood First in the path of the Japanese advance, might be overwhelmed by weight of numbers and superiority of equipment have largely vanished. But it is highly desirable, and essential, that increasing confidence should not become, as it may, false optimism. There has been a relative lull in Japanese activity. The Burma campaign Is over, and there is yet no report indicating Japanese determination to attack India, either by land or sea. The sortie against Ceylon, which seems now to have been unconnected with the Burma campaign, has not been repeated. The air attacks on northern Australia have not been developed. The movement which, whatever its purpose, was interrupted and temporarily frustrated w the Coral Sea battle has not yet been renewed. But all this relative inactivity cannot safely be attributed to any weakening of Japanese determination, or to decisive weakening Jp.panese strength. ft is properly to be regarded as due to the Japa: cr*> necessity ;c use time fr,, -ihe marshalling of their forces, and tlif time nee.' >d is naturally greater because they are now operating at grentei distance" from their bases, and the Allies are sometimes in a position to interfere with their preparations.

That the Australian Government is not satisfied that recent progress Is nearly sufficient to ensure so m ly is clearly shown by the activities i'i. 1 in Washington and London. In both countries, it seems, ? u 8 t( ? untl wlia * ' 10 d'-.-crihe.; a. .. . astonishing ignorance of the gravity of the danger in the Pacific, and a tendency, inevitable perhaps, but from our point of view disturbing, to focus attention on the great camP?i u 1 Agr.inst this he is endeavouring to persuade the Allied High Command of the needs of the Pacific for heavy naval and air reinforcements. If these were made available, sufficient and in time, the prospect of further successful Japanese advances would be ended. If not, then at least the steady strengthening of the land defences of our countries, and of important islands in the Pacific, may be interrupted, or made increasingly difficult, and the whole plan of building up a southwest Pacific base for eventual offensive action against Japan may be jeopardised. It is late in the day for an effort to be made to persuade the Allied High Command of this danger, and to induce action to meet It—but the fact that Dr. Evatt is making it testifies to the Australian government a anxiety. So far there has been no indication that the New Zealand Government shares this anxiety; the few public references of our leaders have been confined to satisfaction at the progress made in touilding up our land defences. But land defences are our last line If Jhey have to be employed our plight will be extremely serious, 'our Government has no need to fear that, in publicly stressing the need of naval and air reinforcements, it will be accused of an unworthy importunity. The Dominion's aid to Britain, relatively small though it has been, has been great in proportion to our resources, and certainly great enough to justify our Government now in publicly supporting Australia's requests. .