TROOPS & BOMBERS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 24 January 1942, Page 3

TROOPS & BOMBERS

GREAT AMERICAN MOVEMENT TO WEST COAST OF HAWAII. AND INTO SOUTH-WESTERN PACIFIC. WASHINGTON, January 22. A high Washington official said that the vast emergency military steps taken since December 7 had resulted in unprecedented strengthening of the entire west coast defences and of Hawaii, paving the way for reinforcements of the south-west Pacific. The stream of reinforcements to the south-west Pacific had already begun. Within the United States, 600,000 troops had been shifted to new positions in less than seven weeks. The advantage which Japan had gained on December 7 had been largely offset by the mounting flow of longrange bombers. It was added that it looked as if the United States had lost control of the seas for the time being. To meet this the army had thrown in big bombers to plug the defence leak in the west. The production of aircraft was rising steadily. The nation had sufficient bombers and fighters to meet the emergency. v PORTUGUESE TROOPS TAKING CHARGE OF DEFENCE OF TIMOR. LISBON, January 23. It is officially stated that after conversations with Britain, Portuguese troops sailed for Timor to take charge of the defence of the part of the island belonging to Portugal.