WITHDRAWAL BY JAPANESE

Southland Times, Issue 24881, 22 October 1942, Page 5

WITHDRAWAL BY JAPANESE

Owen Stanley Range

(Special Australian Correspondent, N.ZP.A.)

(Rec. 11 p.m.) SYDNEY, October 21. Despite their continued tenacious resistance the Japanese in the heights of. the Owen Stanley Range are gradually being driven back. They are now occupying new positions about three miles north of Templeton’s Crossing, to which they were forced to withdraw by successful Australian outflanking and encircling attacks.

In a desperate effort to retain a foothold on this last strip of high ground in the Gap area the Japanese have brought up light artillery, as well as mortars.

The latest Allied gain was made after an advanced unit had succeeded in occupying a position in the rear of the Japanese forward troops. When their costly counter-attacks failed to eliminate the threat of the Allied encirclement the Japanese withdrew. Failure to hold their present positions may mean that the enemy will be forced to withdraw from an altitude of 6500 feet to Kokoda, only 1500 feet above sea level. SOLOMONS PROBLEM Providing Aid For Marines NEW YORK, October 20. David Lawrence, writing in The New York Sim says:— “In an effort to make the Marines’ position in the Solomons safe the United States Navy is up against one of the toughest tasks in its history, but the difficulties involved have been i foreseen from the very beginning. One thing that is causing the Navy men concern is the apparent inability of the public to understand the real nature of the job and the reasons for the manner in which the news is handled from the Pacific area.

“Thus the criticism that the Army forces in Australia under General MacArthur are not being utilized to help the Marines is a misunderstanding of the nature of the opertaions. To assume that the Army forces in Australia oi- anywhere else are not permitted to do something that they ought to do is to say that General George C. Marshall, America’s Chief of the General Staff, has not an opportunity to express himself or to influence the strategy that is finally adopted. This, of course, is unfounded because it is well-known that there has been substantial agreement right along between the members of the High Command. “Deception as to losses is practised by all the navies of the world as an integral part of strategy. Policies differ with the situations arising but one thing can be stated positively. The High Commands of the Army and of the Navy are not holding back because of any relationship to the problem of morale on the home front. The reasons are strategic and the American people must trust the High Commands, which know what they are doing and are interested only in victory, not in politics or morale problems away from the fighting fronts. There is unity of command and purpose today among the United States Chiefs of Staff.