NOTES AND COMMENTS

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 281, 26 August 1942, Page 4

NOTES AND COMMENTS

Australia has sustained severe naval losses in the war, botli in ships and personnel, and the Deputy-Prime Minister has expressed the sympathy of the people of the Dominion especially with the relatives of those who recently lost their lives in H.M.A.S. Canberra. Tiie fights in which these losses were suffered indicate how far spread have been the activities of the Australian naval forces. The Canberra was lost off the Solomons, and the sloop Yarra somewhere off the coast of Java. The destroyer Vampire went down fighting in the Bay of Bengal, and H.M.A.S. Sydney was lost some distance off the coast of Western Australia, but managed to sink her opponent, a German raider. The Perth was one of the vessels lost in the Mediterranean, the others including the Waterhen and the Nestor. Tiie Parramatta was torpedoed while on escort duty, probably in tiie same waters. These are heavy casualties for a single naval unit to suffer, but without exception the ships fought witli splendid tenacity, sometimes against heavy odds, maintaining the high traditions of tlie service in a great cause.

What precisely has caused the apparent collapse of tiie Japanese offensive in Southern China, witli the loss of territory and positions of considerable strategical importance, is an intriguing question. It will lie recalled that this offensive was launched with large forces in a three-pronged drive to gain possession of all coastal areas from which Allied air attacks on Japanese territory could lie made. It was carried out with great energy, and tiie Chinese forces were compelled to retreat.from one defence line after another until the situation began to assume a serious aspect. Um reversal of positions now reported suggests that tiie Japanese either haie been unable to reinforce their divisions or that they are husbanding their resources with some other purpose in view. Recent reports have mentioned that large Japanese forces have been moved into Manchuria, on tiie Siberian border, raising the question whether this portended an attack on Russia. Others, again, have suggested that an attack on, India after the monsoonal period is probable. In any case, the Japanese reverses in China, after the elaborate preparations to carry out a major offensive, have every appearance at present of a serious reverse.

Au exchange of views on tiie subject of post-war trade between tiie Dominion and India, made possible by Hie visit of Mr. Ramji Ram Saksena, Indian Trade Commissioner to Australia and New Zealand, may serie a useful purpose, it i.s Impossible, however, at this stage to visualize the conditions and possibilities of future trade, but knowledge regarding the range of products, the source of supply, in tiie two countries may be of practical value when, among other things, freedom to trade has been restored. For many years the trade balance between this country and India, and indeed with other Asiatic units, has been consistently in their favour. In one instance our imports from an Asiatic group exceeded £2,000.000 and our exports in that direction did not; reach £2OOO. In tiie case of India tiie trade between the two countries has not been very extensive, but on occasion the ratio of our imports to our exports lias been as four to one. It is not, of course, contended that anything like exact balances can lie secured in matters of trade, but where steps can lie taken to bring about a less unbalanced position they should not lack official support.