TO MEET THREAT

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

TO MEET THREAT

• — ? U.S. FORCES DEPLOYING FACTORS IN SOLOMONS BATTLE ENEMY MAKING POWERFUL BID.

P.A. Special.

SYDNEY, Oct. 19.

The Japanese attacking Guadalcanar are expectedi to launch new air and naval offensives as soon as their land forces are in position, but the fact that the United States Navy has given definite statements of its observations of enemy operations until Friday indicates that American forces are now deploying to meet the three-way attack and if possible decide the Solomons issue once and for all. This opinion is supported by the New York Times's Washington correspondent, who says: "Although nothing can be announced of American movernents to meet the Japanese tlireat, observers have been encouraged by the latest communique report that after two days' silence United States planes were operating 1 on Guadalcanar on Friday. So long as the defenders' air- strength is not seriously impaired they have a great advantage." The fact that the United States Navy is not likely to have been caught unprepared for a situation "which . it must have anticipated and indeed has desired to bring about" is stressed by the Sydney Morning Herald in a leading article. The paper says : "Eff ective aid can and will be sent to the besieged United States forces in the Solomons." PAPER S' GRAVE WARNING. The New York paper P.M. declares: "The Japanese forces on Guadalcanar, including troops pulled from New Guinea, probably outnumber the reinforced American forces by at least ten to one. Furthermore, the latest reports indicate that the Japanese have command of the sea as well as air supremacy."

P.M. warns that the only cheering no tes are the statements of the Navy Secretary, Colonel Knox, who expected that the island could be held, and Admiral Nimitz, Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, who is optimistic even in the face of the enemy oUt-gunning us to a dangerous extent. P.M. says that Ameriea is in considerable danger of losing one of the greatest actions in the Pacific be eause J apan has temporarily shelved all other aetivities in this theatre. I^i'ot only have they Concentrated the greatest naval force they have ever riskedj (probably a full battle fleet), but they also hold overwhelming superiority in other departments. "The Japanese have apparentiy decided to rnake a test of their destiny in the Solomons," says the New York Herald-Tribune, predicting editorially that if Japan is initially repulsed she will keep coming back with eveistronger forces. "The Japanese feel that if they cannot recover these bits of territory they are going to lose their new empire piece by piece and might as v/ell know it now. The Japanese are well aware of the strategic loss suflered at Guadalcanar, but they are more concerned over the psychological effect on their armed forces if they cannot retake this prize. One of Japan's most precious military assets is a fixed belief that no power 011 earth can take territory from her. This faith in Japan's destiny as a conquering nation which enables a soldier to give his life in the knowledge that it is buying the Emperor and the people everlasting aggrandisement must be kept untarnislied at any cost." The Herald-Tribune says that if ihe Americans are thrown out of the Solomons Japanese morale would soar to unprecedented heights. The men commanding Japan's counter-offen-sive no doubt feel that Japan's whole future as a world Power is at stake and will take any chances that such a consideration dictates.