The Bay of Plenty Beacon Published Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. FRIDAY, JULY 31, 1942 LETS LOOK AT ASIA

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 05, Issue 85, 31 July 1942, Page 4

The Bay of Plenty Beacon Published Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. FRIDAY, JULY 31, 1942 LETS LOOK AT ASIA

"I TELL you this pause in Japanese action is ominous/' said a businessman in Whakatane yesterday when discussing* the war situation with his friends. It does not take a great deal of reflection to realise the truth of his words. About the only front on which the Japanese remain permanently active to-day is in China, where the heroic figure of Chiang Kai Shek wages an independent war of his own backed by the awakening soul of China reborn. What has happened in the other spheres of Japan's erstwhile offensives? The: sudden lull is uncanny in its silence. All the more astounding is it to reason that since Christmas something over 150,000,000 people have been added to the Empire of the Rising Sun. The apparent peace which follows the storm stretches from the Phillipines through the Malay States,, up through Burma., down the chain of the Dutch Indies and into the heart of New Guinea itself. Do not .be deceived by apparent halt of the vigorous little yellow men. Japan's war lords know that their only hope of retaining their ill-gotten possessions lies in still further aggression in order to dominate Asia for their own aggrandisment and to thrust out the hated, white devils who still cling to the flanks of democracy. The period of quiescence is nothing more than a sparring round for position and now that the American fleet has shown its teeth with rather devastatingeffect, and now that the Stars and Stripes waves over new garrisons in all paifcs of the Pacific it is only natfcural to expect that Togo and hi-j satalites will plan their futuie moves with far greater caution than when they had the advantage of all thugs—the elements of surprise a,nd treachery.

BRAINS AND BRAWN IN THE ARRAY

OCCASIONALLY there leaks into the civilian world, strange tales of bow the army operates in the training of its recruits. The story of the university professor who spent his time, hour by hour, clay in, day out peeling the humble potatoe is an example. But there are many others of a like character; highly qualified professional men who do nothing* else but sweep floors, educationalists,, specialists in all branches of trades and callings who must content themselves with manual work of the simplest kind. Naturally this is to be expected and to a certain degree tolerated by the man who leaves civilian life and enters an entirely new sphere which is under military discipline, but surely there should be some: discretion exercised in the selection of the tasks allocated to. those who fill the rank and file. Not that these men should be favoured to any extent, at the expense of their fellows but rather that the armyshould benefit as, a result of their training and capabilities. IVIAORS INDEPENDENCE THE decision to give the" Maoris complete control of their war effort, civilian and otherwise, would seem to be a wdse and far-seeing decision. On the East Coast where this procedure has been more or less in operation for some time past,' there has been a far better response to recruiting, and to the appeals for patriotic funds than elsewhere in Maori communities. The new form of administration will give the Maoris that feeling of independently conducting their own affairs that can be calculated to meet with the maximum results. Only a Maori Council can be expected to have access to the Maori viewpoint and in these days when the struggle of the united nations is classed as 'the fight for freedom' it is pleasing to note the new move to give our own native race complete freedom of initiative in their conduct of the war as it affects them. FIRST AID KNOWLEDGE BECAUSE it is taken for granted, few people take the trouble to realise the immense amount of genuine, practical good which the St. John Ambulance Association is doing in this district. The operational year just concluded saw no less than 300 citizens of Whakatane and residents of the County qualify at the examinations held from time to time. As pointed out by the Deputy Chairman,, Mr A. Carling, even this number is not indicative of the number of persons who actually received instructions. The St. John Association is doing perhaps more permanent good in this district at the present time than any other transitory organisation born of the war. ACCOMMODATION DID you know that in spite of one hundred new government houses in Whakatane, in spite of some forty other residences built privately during the past three years, in spite of the fact that over four hundred men have left this town to serve .with the armed forces, there is still an acute house shortage in Whakatane.