RETREAT ACROSS PACIFIC

Chronicle (Levin), 18 March 1949, Page 5

RETREAT ACROSS PACIFIC

(N.Z.P.A.-

-Reuter,

U.S. Cannot Hold Defensive Line In Asia x

Copyright)

Received Friday, 1 a.m. NEW YORK, March 47. The United JStates is backtracking its main Pacilic defence line to its owii west eoast, says the As^ sociated Press correspondent at :Pearl Harbour. The one weapoji in the Pacilic not being cut down is the siibmarine. Obviously Paeifie eommanders would like to hold a line as close to Asia as possible, but under the present budgets the forces for the Pacilic are too seanty for the maintenanee ©f a distance line. Supply. and sliipping costs would be trcmendous to maintain the Japan, Okinawa and the Marianas as the perimeter of the defence. American "miiitary observers agree that the industry and plan«producing area of the west eoast of Arnerica would be a prize ,target for an enemy -surprise attaek, and they agree that the best defence is to concentrate the maj.or defending elements. aleng. the west eoast and off Alaska. Steady cutbacks of the air and naval forces In tlawaii and westward are evidences of this. The Navy and Marine Pacilic headquarters are being moved from Iiawaii to San Diego (Calii'ornia) and the Air Force is sending back to the United States the 81st fighter wing, the last in the Pacilic Command. The only air intercepting forces -left in Hawaii are one National (tuard squadron of 25 over-age Thunderbolts and a Navy fighter training unit. There is currentl-y no battlesliip or carrier based on Hawaii and the only two firstline carriers opernting in the Paeifie are both based on the American west eoast. Although the number of warships in the Far East is undisclosed it is known that n.o more than four cruisers, a small eseort car-; l'ier and a small force of destroy-; ers are in Chinese and Japanese waters. The Navy is not cntting down, its Pacilic submayine operations; which were outstandingly sueeessful against the Japanese. Pearl Harbour remains a fullscale suhmarine base with the forees there being converted to the "Schnorkel" type of underwater breathing apparatus.