PACIFIC STRATEGY

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 125, 29 May 1942, Page 3

PACIFIC STRATEGY

JAP. NAVAL STRENGTH

ADMIRAL GHORMLEY'S VIEWS

1 u ' i:| 'I'INGTON, this day ', h . at - he coul <l not sec ( ' n, i ' , ll " n « "Porations against V" • . ««.. fn.,n land-based pbne« r " «,£ " " u- «isl\varcl of the i'"- u «>* mentioned by Vier. A'li" m* i~t 1.. dhormley, T'.S wh " " ''•"•iitly appointed 'to'Viko co:i.:i ■ I-i tiie South Pacific; Area' at •' ■ conference in Wellington ycsl< :■« iv. .AH, : rihnnnley expressed the v ! . M •'• l l» : "H , se naval strenJVh wa.- .! ' » • "a! stronger than lr h, ' , ' n ' V VV" ,lu ', ir '"'il'linp gnu: ■ .Ml l>een eloselv -uar de » r lh;,t the Ta ,ane'-e W'U" l '• to extended submarine vv: ' ' '"7 V'V ~arllK' «■«»"> rn • ' 1,l " 1 h " J'ist smiled and said . u w hen asked jf ,| u -re had I" 'iv evidence, so far of their i. in that direction.' Pi'imises of < o-opci-.-ition Sin. e IP-: arrival in Wellington at the be.-' 111 111 1 ~0l the week. Admiral Ohm-iii''" Ims had conferences with the t nei:.i"• i < ,r ihe War Cabinet and the clih i nt staff, from whom, he said, lie i ' received promises of the most lie ii •» ci)•(iperat ion. 1 [ ( . ] las nut vet i.• I ..'ii over his command", inn will il" " 1 ■ soon as possible. AI thi ii "• 1 1 lw lias selected the situa tion of in - * "ii'inand headquarters, he (locs i' > 1 to .say ptibliclv where th« \ are to be. "if i were tu tell ><"' ' he said, "they would be a targe I i'«>r the Japanese, and that would ri"i he fair to the people liv-intr in that aiea." Admiral C.hormley was not pre'pared 'o reveal the scope or boundaries of his command. "It is," he said. "<m established axiom of strategy that the weakest points in armour are the joints, and to reveal to the Japanese where those joints lie is to suguest to them the places most likelv to be favourable for their attack. The Japanese do not tell us the boundaries of their areas, and we do not intend to tell them ours."

Although he would consult with General Douglas Mac Arthur, the supreme Allied commander in the Anzac /one. if that were necessary nr desirable, said the admiral, he was nevertheless directly under the command of Admiral C. VV. Nimitz, commanding the Pacific Area. Already he had a complete liaison with General Mac Arthur, through ViceAdmiral 11. T. I.eary. who was stationed in Australia. This liaison was getting better every day.

"Tonnage is a bottleneck that is getting tighter 'every month." said Admiral (Ihormlcv. in answer to a question about shipping losses. "The longer the war goes on the tighter it will get, for greater tonnage will be demanded by the military. Tonnage requirements are tremendous."

Second Front Question

When asked about the second front question, the admiral said, "That is a political matter. Many people in Britain think a second front should be opened, but I do not. feel competent to speak on what England feels about it. If it could be opened, I agree it would make a tremendous difference to existing war strategy."

When the question of Sunday entertainment. for visiting servicemen was brought up. Admiral Ghormley expressed the expectation that all that could he done would be done to provide suitable entertainment at all times.