BELIEVED LOCATED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 29 December 1941, Page 3

BELIEVED LOCATED

MAIN BODY OP JAPANESE FLEET ACTION AGAINST ENEMY SUBMARINES. PROTECTION OF SHIPPING. (By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright) WASHINGTON, December 27. It is believed in Washington that the main body of the Japanese fleet is now located, but what? that knowledge portends no one can say as yet. A United States Navy communique states that enemy submarines are still operating in the eastern Pacific along the West Coast shipping lanes, but due to “effective counter-measures” they are experiencing great difficulty in making their attacks. In the central Pacific similar couiAer-measures against submarines in'the Hawaiian area are being vigorously prosecuted. In the Far East, during enemy bombing attacks, two of our destroyers sustained minor damage, with no casualties. » In the Atlantic theatre there have been no new developments. OIL IN BORNEO JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER’S CLAIM. NEW YORK, December 27. According to Tokio radio, the xJapanese Premier, General Tojo, told the Diet that the British began destroying oil wells in North Borneo three months before the war began, and they took away the equipment from 150 wells before the Japanese could get there. General Tojo, however, claimed that experts were now repairing the oil facilities in Borneo, and 70 wells producing 700 tons a day would be back in operation within a month. He told the Diet that the Japanese forces in Malaya face 140,000 British

troops, including 18,000 from England and 25,000 from Australia and New Zealand. The Premier also told the Diet that the Japanese forces at Davao, in the southern Philippines, had freed 18,000 Japanese prisoners. The Tokio radio, quoting an Imperial army communique, said Japanese troops had completely occupied Davao. Japanese units which landed in the British Borneo areas of Mili, Lubong, and Sereki were dealing deadly blows against the enemy, while the occupation of Guam continued according to plan.