REAL ALLIED GAIN IN SOLOMONS

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 284, 29 August 1942, Page 8

REAL ALLIED GAIN IN SOLOMONS

Pacific Council View REPORT GIVEN BY MR. FRASER (Received August 28, 8.40 p.m.) WASHINGTON, August 27. The Pacific Council' viewed the successes in the Solomons as a real gain. The meeting lasted 90 t minutes and was devoted almost f exclusively to a report by the New Prime Minister, Mr. [Fraser, on the south-west Pacific t and New Zealand’s relation to the [battle programme. • The New Zealand Minister, Mr. Nash, acted as ■ spokesman. Mr. Nash told the Press his own impression was that the Allied gain in the Solomons was real. There had been considerable dispersal of the Japanese forces in the south-west Pacific area, and the outlook was rather encouraging. Losses of aeroplanes at one point had been in the proportion of seven Allied against 33 Japanese. Mr. Nash said the council discussed the new Japanese landing in New Guinea, but he did not comment on this. lie said Mr. Fraser reported on his consultations with Mr. Curtin and General MacArthur. President Roosevelt discussed the Solomons operations, and Mr. Nash, commenting oh Press reports, said they had already given most of what was going on. The British Ambassador, Lord Halifax, said Mr. Fraser was much impressed with the cordial way in which the Australian and American forces were working together. The Australian representative, Sir Owen Dixon, did not comment. Mr. Fraser lunched with’ the Secretary of State, Mr. Hull. The President’s secretary, Mr. Early, said Mr. Koosevelt stayed up till 2 o’clock this morning talking with Mr. Fraser and Mr. Henry Grew, who was United States’ Ambassador in Tokio, in the President’s study, Mr. Nash was also present. Mr. Koosevelt and Mr. Fraser resumed their conference after breakfast, spending most of the morning to- I gether. and then went to the Pacific I Council meeting..

AUSTRALIAN VIEWS Mr. Curtin’s Invitation

(By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright.) (Special Australian Correspondent.)

SYDNEY, August 27.

The feeling is growing in Australia that the' Prime Minister, Mr. Curtin, should accept President Roosevelt’s invitation to visit Washington. The Sydney “Sun” says: “Such a visit to the leader of the great republic which Providence has made our ally would obviously be of most ines-i timable value to the Commonwealth. No other Australian could possibly carry the authority of the Prime Minister in discussions of co-ordinated effort and strategy in the Pacific. Other Dominion leaders will confer with the President. Already the Prime Minister of New Zealand is'in Washington. Australia should be represented by its Prime Minister.” Mr. Curtin declines to comment on the' invitation.