The Evening Star MONDAY, AUGUST 31, 1942. MILNE BAY LANDINGS.

Evening Star, Issue 24287, 31 August 1942, Page 2

The Evening Star MONDAY, AUGUST 31, 1942. MILNE BAY LANDINGS.

The Japanese landings at Milne Bay, near the south-eastern tip of New Guinea, arc proving sufficiently serious in every way to confirm the previouslyexpressed views of prominent men in both the United -Slates and Australia that, in spite of the Allied successes in the Solomons, tho’ enemy in the Pacific is still to bo regarded as a dangerously aggressive foe. Possibly the reversion of hostile 'attention to New Guinea comes as an inevitable sequel to tho Japanese defeat in the Solomons, which, while contributing greatly towards the safety of tho Allied sea communications and the approaches to New Caledonia, Fiji, and New Zealand, may have had tho effect of forcing tho enemy to concentrate on New Guinea with tho object of reducing Port Moresby and subsequently invading the mainland of Australia. 'Now, more clearly than ever, Australia must bo looming up in Japanese eyes as the most important springboard for the Allied counteroffensive. ''The strategists in Toklo have felt the sting of the American thrust in the Solomons and of the growing

tensity of the air raids on other bases in the South-west Pacific, and, therefore it is likely that their policy for some time to come will be to essay the elimination of the menace in that quarter. At any rate, this thought seemed to underlie the remarks of Mr If. M. Fordo, Australian Minister for tile Army, when lie drew attention to the possibility of the Commonwealth experiencing a baptism of lire on its own soil.

‘ The Times,’, expressing a par-ticularly-convincing London view, has said that Japan cannot call a halt in the Pacific and hope to hold her illgotten gains, and that, whatever setbacks she may suffer, the Milne Pay landings prove that Japan is inevitably committed to an advance against Australia. It is certainly logical to conclude that, as long as the United Nations’ strength is allowed to grow in • Australia, the whole structure of the Japanese expansionist plans is threatened. Unless the enemy is much stronger in other war zones than is believed, lie must accept the Allies’ challenge in the Pacific to the exclusion of aggression against Siberia or India. The continued success of the Chinese forces is another factor that will discourage the opening of now fronts. The attention now being devoted to Now Guinea is a pointer to future activity. Increased pressure on Port Moresby was long anticipated, and in landing in the Milne Pay area, where jungle abounds, the Japanese are evidently hopeful of triumphantly repeating the tactics that brought them victory in Malaya. Although they have suffered heavy losses in making the actual landings, it appears from the latest reports that their assault tifoops are creating a serious situation for the Allies. In contradistinction to the Malayan campaign. however, the New Guinea fighting iiionld bo noteworthy for a sterner Allied resistance, born of experience in jungle warfare, and for the acquisition of adequate air support.