PACIFIC WAR ZONE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 29 January 1942, Page 3

PACIFIC WAR ZONE

BRITISH REINFORCEMENTS DESPATCHED Other Forces Following COUNTER-MEASURES AGAINST JAPAN GIVEN PRIORITY STATEMENTS BY MR ATTLEE AND LORD MOYNE i LONDON, January 28. An assurance that the importance of the Pacific zone in the world war strategy was recognised was given by Mr 0. R. Attlee, Lord Privy Seal, in the House of Commons, when moving a vote of confidence in the Government. Mr Attlee said reinforcements were sent to the Far East at the earliest possible moment. The reinforcements were sent from those places and those troops most readily available. Further reinforcements were being sent but the long distance of communications and the limitations of shipping had to be borne in mind. Lord Moyne, Secretary of the Colonies, speaking in the House of Lords, gave an assurance that the Allies had given priority to counter-measures against Japan in the general war strategy. HITLER’S TRAP Being Avoided by United States STRATEGY IN PACIFIC AND ATLANTIC LONDON, January 28. The importance of the Pacific was also emphasised by Colonel Knox, U.S.A. Secretary of the Navy, speaking in Chicago. Hitler, he said, was the main enemy but while he might be the main enemy historically he might not be strategically. The United States had to win the Battle of the Pacific as well as that of the Atlantic. The United States would not fall into Hitler’s trap by throwing all her strength into the Pacific and stopping supplies to Britain and Russia. At the same time, she had not forgotten the Pacific. The United States Navy had accounted for 18 Japanese ships so far and probably others. Japan was getting jittery as she did not know where the United States Navy would be next.