SOLOMONS SCENE

Marlborough Express, Volume LXXVI, Issue 247, 20 October 1942, Page 5

SOLOMONS SCENE

NOT PRETTY P1CTURE OFFICIAL CAUTION ISSUED UNDUE OPTIMISM BEPRECATED.

P.A. Gable.

NEW YORK, Oct. 19.

A general impression. among well-informed military observers is that the Solomons pieture is not pretty, says the HeraldTribune's Washmgton correspondent. A Navy spokesman, commenting on the communique, giave a caution against drawing unduly optimistic conclusions from reported American air victories, pointing out that all details eould not be published because they would be valuable to the enemy. From this remark observers have inferred that the eommumque is doubtless unbalanced. The ultimate test of victory is possession of the aerodrome. Thus, even though they have lost many planes, if the Japanese recapture the aerodrome they will be able to jeopardise American sea eomrnunications with Australia. The United Press cites military and naval experts to the effect that the m mmm m .^smr jr mmr m .aam m mtar m jmr m mat

dutcome of the land fighting on Guadalcanar hinges on the impending naval struggle to determine which side gains the supremacy needed to carry reinforcements to the ground forces. Observers are of the opinion that American naval strategy includes a combination of American tactics in the Coral Sea and Midway battles and the Japanese tactics in the Java Sea. With enemy surface units concentrated in the narrow waters of the Solomons Archipelago, strategy would involve continued assaults against the Japanese fleet bytorpedobombers and dive-bombers, after which American surface vessels waiting in the mouths of the narrow straits would pounce on the retiring enemy ships, as the Japanese attacked Allied units after the main action in the Java Sea.