SKILLED DIRECTION

Wairarapa Times-Age, 3 January 1942, Page 3

SKILLED DIRECTION

BY AMERICAN COMMANDER MR STIMSON’S PRAISE. ENEMY IN FORMIDABLE STRENGTH. WASHINGTON, January 1. ■ The Secretary for War, Mr Stimson, speaking in Washington, praised General MacArthur’s direction of the fighting in the Phillipines as masterly. He said there was every reason to believe that the Americans and Filipinos _ were inflicting heavy losses on the invaders, who overwhelmingly outnumbered the defenders. The Japanese were well-equipped, welltrained and well-disciplined fighters, and the work of the Japanese staff officers was of a high order. He was, however, confident that the Japanese could and would be beaten in the end. Mr Stimson made it clear that the War Department had -not ordered General MacArthur to leave the Philippines if Manila fell. ' Mr Stimson warned against viewing the war “through rose-coloured glasses.” He added: “It will take a long time before America can study reprisal bombing of Japanese cities.” He announced that the War Department has decided to continue voluntary enlistments for military service. It ■was previously announced that it would rely entirely on the draft, but the Congress having fixed the age limit for selective service at 20 years, the enlistment of younger men ■ is now being sought because of their ■qualities of keenness, enthusiasm, daring, vigour and endurance.