Late News AMERICAN SUPPLIES FOR AUSTRALIA

Southland Times, Issue 24824, 17 August 1942, Page 5

Late News AMERICAN SUPPLIES FOR AUSTRALIA

(Rec. 2 a.m.) SYDNEY, August 16. Statements that supplies from America to Australia were disappointingly small and had been reduced to a mere trickle were misleading and calculated to depress the people of Australia and hearten the enemy, said Mr W. M. Hughes today. He added that the forces sent by the United States to the Commonwealth were to say the least substantial. The battle of the Solomons, fought in the main by Americans, is as much a battle for Australia as it it were fought on the coasts of Australia. Even more significant than the magnitude and strength of the forces engaged in the Solomons is the fact that it is an offensive—the first offensive by the Allies since the Pacific war began. The story of the Pacific war makes depressing reading. It has been a story of aggressive war by the Japanese and for the first time we are now moving on. It is the opening stage of that great campaign on which we must concentrate our lives. The Solomons battle shows America’s strength and her confidence that she can roll the Japanese up.” The New '-'ork Times says that Washington naval circles intimated that the United States offensive in the Solomons continues to proceed satisfactorily. However, the Navy Department stated that nothing could be revealed at present beyond yesterday’s communique.