New Zealand's Fate Depends On Outcome Of Solomons Battle

Taranaki Daily News, 26 August 1942, Page 3

New Zealand's Fate Depends On Outcome Of Solomons Battle

Defeat of coming counter-attack will guarantee safety. THE few cautious but hope-producing official coxnmuniques which have been issued from Washington about tho Solomon Islands operations should not encourage the peoples of the South Pacfic countries to regard its outcome as being cut and dried, says the Press Association correspondent at a South Pacific port. The period of anxious suspense has by no means been ended. The importance of the operation to New Zealand could not be plainer.

From the almost impenetrable mist of silence, imposed for security reasons. which surrounds what is now going on in the Solomons area there can finally emerge only one of two thuigs. If the Alfied naVal forces prevail in the anticipated counter-offensive New Zealand's security from attack will be guaranteed for a long period. If they fail and the forces have to devote many months to the recouping of their strength, New Zealand will be placed in an incontestably more dangerous position than she has ever been. Success for the Allies will mean that the base organisation for the next stage of the offensive against the Pacific enemy can be advanced over 1000 miles from the present United States-Hawaii-Fiji-New Zealand line; failure will mean that the base organisation will haye to stand where it has been and that the FijiNew Zealand section will be in an almost inconceivably worse position than it is now. . An Allied naval disaster m the Solomons area would, says the correspondent, undoubtedly precipitate an enemy onrush against New Caledonia and Fiji. [f they went, New Zealand's peril would be complete. The correspondent says that this, in

I plain terms, is what the Solomons hold' for New Zealand. The operation has ; more direct importance for the Dominion J than it has for Australia. Official communiques about the progress achieved give no ground for pessij mism but the peoples of the South Paci- ; fic should nevertheless understand what ! potentialities possible failure might hold :for them. Several weeks might elapse ! before the naval issue in the Solomons iarea is decided. Lack of action on the ipart of the Japanese since the capture ! of the south-eastem islands does not arIgue lack of intention. Until the die is least and the outcome known the present period of suspense must continue, but it should not be regarded as indicating that j the Japanese have decided to avoid a naval test. Meanwhile, and until the crucial time arrives, the correspondent considers | there will continue to be good grounds i for watchful optimism. The land opera- ! tions have apparently gone extremely well although he believes there is still daily fighting in the islands, and the naval forces have given sufficient taste j of their quality in battle to produce the hope that, provided fortune is beneficent, ' the impending action will also go well. j All eyes must therefore remain turned to the seas.