NO MAJOR VICTORY YET

Evening Star, Issue 24286, 29 August 1942, Page 5

NO MAJOR VICTORY YET

AMERICAN AUTHORITY'S WARNING (Rec. 11.30 a.m.) WASHINGTON, August 28.

Thc Associated Press says an admonition against the current Solomons operations being described as a major victory came from one of the highest' Government authorities, who preferred his name not to be mentioned. He said that actually there had been two phases of Japanese activities since the American forces established themselves in the South-western Pacific. He was worried lest the Pi ess lead the country to believe that a great and smashing victory had been achieved.

The first phase was the landing by 700 Japanese, who were wiped out on Gnadalcanar Island, and a series - of smaller aeroplane attacks in which we came off pretty well, destroying between 30 and 32 Japanese aircraft. The Allies lost four.

The second phase should not be called $ full-scale offensive but a reepnnais-

sance in force. This was the movement on the Solomons of units of the Japanese fleet. This reconnaissance force had withdrawn. We hit some ships, and it was hoped sank some, but the high authority said he would hate to have people get the idea that a major victory was scored.

NO ISOLATED BATTLE PART OF GENERAL CAMPAIGN (British Official Wireless.) ((Rec. 11 a.m.) RUGBY, Aug. 28. General Sir Thomas Blarney, on his return from forward headquarters, said, according to a message from Australia: “ The Solomon Islands action is not a single battle, but part of a campaign into which* we have gone and which must bo fought to a finish. The landing at Milne Bay is part of the Japanese general plan to force frontiers to the south, but we had forces established in the vicinity before the arrival of the Japanese.”