ALLIED ACTION URGED

Southland Times, Issue 24883, 24 October 1942, Page 5

ALLIED ACTION URGED

Importance Of War

In Pacific

' (Rec. 11.15 p.m.) NEW YORK, Oct. 22. Men fighting in the Pacific war believe the Japanese are more dangerous than the Germans and consider that Japan is our primary adversary, writes The New York Times correspondent, Hanson Baldwin, in the first of a series of articles on his recent Pacific tour. “Most of our Pacific leaders and observers believe the European and Pacific conflicts are two separate wars, coinciding strategically at only those points and areas where Japanese and German ambitions and self-interests happen to coincide,” he says. “Thus Japan conducts operations to help Germany only when it is clearly in Japan’s interests. The bonds of the Tripartite Pact are loose and liable to severance at any time it suits the interests of any party. “Pacific leaders are concerned over the dangerous fallacy in American opinion that once the Germans are defeated Japan will be a ‘pushover,’ and express the opinion that, if Japan is allowed to consolidate her gains while we undertake the laborious process of bringing Germany to her knees, the Japanese will become so strong and secure that it will require years to defeat them. Furthermore, if Japan is allowed to march to further victories, the consequent effect upon global strategy may be disastrous for the Allied cause in Europe. Accordingly, we cannot fight a protracted delaying action in the Pacific. Vie must hit Japan without respite to prevent her consolidating her gains, but this must be done while we exert our main effort against Germany. This is the dilemma of the Pacific. We are fighting a major campaign on a shoestring.

PROBLEMS IN PACIFIC “Recent operations in the Solomons, costly to both sides, well illustrate the problems confronting us. First, leadership perhaps our greatest problem. A defensive complex and over-caution on the part of some naval leaders resulted in errors of judgment and costly, unnecessary losses. Second, there still exists underlying bitterness and feeling between Army and Navy personnel, exacerbated by the more virulent writers and critics at home. Third, an overstringent censorship and lack of a coordinated joint public relations policy not only make the Pacific war an ‘unknown war’ for the people, but intensify service rivalries and hurt morale. Fourth, the Australian situation is disadvantageous, and the problems related to a coalition of the war greatly complicated General MacArthur’s position. Fifth, a handicap has been imposed by the arbitrary division of the Pacific, which is really a strategic entity, into two theatres, one under Admiral Nimitz and the other under General MacArthur.

ENEMY’S ADVANTAGE “Summing up the relative advantages of the opposing forces in the Pacific, we have a considerably greater war potential, yet Japan hitherto has had quantitative air and naval superiority. The enemy has a great advantage with the interior position giving him shorter lines of communication. Comparing the troops en masse, the enemy is clearly superior in jungle warfare and also more experienced in amphibian operations. Likewise, he possesses the will to win and a firm belief in Japan’s invincibility. However, we possess clear-cut qualitative air superiority, also qualitative superiority in some tactics and technique of warfare, particularly carrier operation and submarine commerce raiding. In addition we have shown greater flexibility in our readiness to learn, and far greater ability to analyse and diagnose correctly enemy intentions, as illustrated in the Coral Sea and Midway battles.” USE OF OWEN GUNS Number Sent To New Guinea

(Special Australian Correspondent, N.Z.P.A!)

(Rec. 11.35 p.m.) SYDNEY, October 23. The Australian-designed Owen sub-machine-gun, now being produced in considerable quantities, was not used in the earlier stages of the New Guinea campaign. This complaint has been made by Mr V. A. Wardell, manager of the factory producing the Owen gun. Stressing the contention that lighter ammunition and equipment were needed by our jungle fighting troops, Mr Wardell said: “It is well known among soldiers that the Thompson .45 ammunition is 50 per cent, heavier than the Owen nine-millimetre, and the gun itself is much heavier. Many complaints have come to me that although Owen guns were available, and in certain instances were specifically requested by the troops concerned, Thompson guns only were supplied. I am convinced that this has been an extension of the earlier campaign to damage the reputation of the Owen gun. There is abundant evidence of the Owen gun’s reliability under adverse conditions, including mud. The Owen gun is now available in relatively large quantities, and it compares most favourably with any other similar weapon.” (The Thompson sub-machine-gun, which has given the name tommygun to all weapons of this type, has been widely used among New Zealand and Australian troops.) A substantial number of Owen guns had been sent to New Guinea, where the Thompson sub-machine-gun had also given good results, said the Minister of the Army, Mr F. M. Forde, in Melbourne today. Before sub-machine-guns were made in Australia substantial supplies of Thompson guns and ammunition for them were obtained from the United States. Some of these guns were used in the earlier stage of the New Guinea campaign. Australia was now producing both Owen and Austen sub-machine-guns, each firing nine-millimetre ammunition. The Owen gun was the first production and large numbers were now being used in New Guinea.

CHINESE PREPARE

Coming Counter-Offensive

CHUNGKING, October 22.

“Hie Chinese armies are making all possible preparations for a counteroffensive against Japan,” said Marshal Chiang Kai-shek, addressing the People’s Political Council, “The Japanese have reached the peak of their offensive power and are now on the decline. An Allied victory is certain. Since the outbreak of the Pacific war we and our Allies have been fighting jointly with a fresh war banner which we will not lay down until all the aggressors have been disarmed.” He drew four- conclusions from the 1 progress of the conflict:— (1) That the Axis strength is taxed to the breaking point. (2) That the longer the war goes on the more dangerous the enemy’s position will become. (3) That increasing Allied production and man-power ensures victory. (4) That the more China sacrifices now the more freedom and the higher moral position will she enjoy after the war.

The President, Lin Sen, told the session, which was the first of a 10-day meeting: “We not only want defeat to the aggressor in East Asia, but also the whole aggressor bloc and to establish a new world order based on justice and lasting peace.” The entire Diplomatic Corps heard the speeches.