AMERICANS FEEL ANXIOUS

Southland Times, Issue 24878, 19 October 1942, Page 5

AMERICANS FEEL ANXIOUS

Air-Power Crippled (Special Australian Correspondent, N.Z.P.A.) (Rec. 7.30 p.m.) SYDNEY, October 18. What little late news has been received of the Solomons fighting is of a sombre character. It is revealed from Washington that in the face of apparent Japanese sea and air control American anxiety about the outcome is growing. However, beyond the earlier report that a naval battle was raging no official mention has been made of the operations by the strong Allied naval force somewhere in the area. Now that American land-based airpower has been so seriously crippled, it is on the hidden operations of the Allied fleet that the final outcome will depend. With the American and Japanese forces on Guadalcanar evenly matched victory must go to the side able to throw the speediest reinforcements into the battle. It is believed that large-scale land fighting has not yet developed, but an American Press correspondent says: “The peril of the American troops has increased ominously, not only with the landing of strong enemy reinforcements, but with the news that a large group of enemy ships has been sighted near Shortland Island, 260 miles north-west of Guadalcanar. It is evident that America’s hold on the South Pacific war crucible of the Solomons, is truly in the balance. It is evident that the enemy intends to envelop and smother the American positions ashore after having softened the fire points and crushed the airport facilities.” IMPORTANCE OF BATTLE Japan’s first objective of neutralizing American land-based air-power on the vital Henderson airfield appears to have been accomplished and the secrecy-shrouded sea battle must be the final determining factor. “If the Japanese succeed in retaking the Solomons without crippling losses to their own sea-power they might accomplish their original Pacific strategy of driving on New Caledonia and taking that,” declares the war commentator in The Sunday Sun, Sydney. “If New Caledonia fell to the Japanese and the Allies were so weakened in this area that they could not take it back the outlook for Australia and New Zealand would be dark. The enemy would have a base beside our main Pacific supply lines from America. He would be only 1000 miles from Sydney and Auckland. New Caledonia would afford him harbours, airfields and mineral riches, including vital nickel to plate his bullets and chrome and manganese to harden his steel. It is the natural base from which to strike at Eastern Australia. The Japanese conquest of New Caledonia would almost certainly involve the preliminary occupation of Allied bases in the New Hebrides and the New Guinea stronghold of Port Moresby. The American news magazine Time today declares: “General MacArthur has enough men to retake all New Guinea, but the risk to ships and the price may not be worth it.” AUDACIOUS ENEMY Time places the number of Japanese in all New Guinea at not more than 20,000 and, pointing to the audacity of the enemy in stretching fingers over thousands of miles of the Pacific, says there were not more than 3000 Japanese south-east of the Solomons when the American Marines launched their offensive early in August. Japan’s total Pacific expansion engaged probably not more than 200,000 troops. Some Americans were asking why more Australians were not fighting with the Americans in the Solomons, the American news analyst, William Winter, said in a special radio talk to Australia from San Francisco. He indicated that the answer was Australia’s recognition that this was a global war and that she had sent her troops to fight in other parts of the world. Australia would be the nation most directly affected by an American defeat in the Solomons. Apart from the danger to her supply lines Brisbane and other eastern coastal cities would be threatened; POTOMAC FLOOD.— The Potomac flood is slowly receding after reaching a record level, inundating several low-lying sections of the capital and causing many millions of dollars of damage in Maryland and Virginia. The damage even exceeded that of the flood disaster in 1936. At least 15 persons were drowned. (Washington).