PACIFIC NAVAL BATTLE PENDENG

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 5, Issue 29, 16 March 1942, Page 4

PACIFIC NAVAL BATTLE PENDENG

BEHIND the success of the Japanese war thrusts in the Pacific, the great driving force of naval dominance spells the secret of what must surely go down, in history as the most astounding- and far-reaching military undertakings: ever known. Within two and a half months the newly-born Oriental Island Power of Nippon has changed the entire face of the North-Eastern Pacific Islands., engulfing one: by one the possessions of France, Holland and Great Britain. Now, poised the verge of the greater venture—the invasion of Australia, the Island Empire is feverishly fomenting the idea of a comprehensive colour-war, by which means she hopes to wean from us Burma, India and the remaining island possessions. This is a somewhat new guise for the militarists, though they certainly proclaimed their arrival in China as deliveries of the oppressed Chinese from a corrupt .and domineering government. However the length and breadth of the present situation is that in the Pacific theatre., theie is an ominous lull, punctuated by fitfull air clashes in New Guinea, and guerilla warfare in the land«s of occupation. The atmosphere is tense with the coming of tremendous and epoch-making events. Rumour and counter-rumour are born almost hourly. It is patent to all thinking persons that before the pre-meditated invasion of Australia or New Zealand, Japan has deemed it advisable to test the protective qualities of her naval strength. To extend her lines of communication any further south, without adequate and assur3d protection would be asking for trouble, and a decisive naval action, is considered a safer method than to risk the possible undoing of her offensives to date. Japan, we: must not forget is to-day a nation of desperate expedients, committed too deeply to know ahy line of retreat,, and willing to slake all on the effectiveness of her present strategy. Flushed with swift and unprecedented victories, there is now nothing which she will not undertake, and w r e can rest assured, that within the next few days the long-awaited naval action between the American and Japanese fleets will be in deadly progress. The answer to the eternal query—Where is the American fleet,' will then be given, effective answer for it would be folly to imagine for one moment that that magnificent fighting force in spite of the Pearl Harbour losses, was doing nothing. The past few weeks have been spent in augmenting, mobilising and manoeuvring. The great clash must be expected daily and the outcome will probably determine the whole course of future operations in the Pacific. Nippon's test of naval strength will undoubtedly be undertaken with all the recklessness and daring exhibited by her military machine, and it behoves our Allies to live up to the new catch-word now on all American lips OFFENSIVE with a capital '0/