NEW TACTICS NEEDED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 March 1942, Page 4

NEW TACTICS NEEDED

TO DEFEAT JAPANESE DR. VAN MOOK’S ADVICE STRONG NAVAL ACTION URGED. DESTROYING & RETREATING MUST END. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) (Received This Day, 1.15 p.m.) ADELAIDE, This Day. “The Allies must concentrate on crippling Japan’s seapower if she attempts an invasion of Australia,” said Dr. Van Mook, Lieutenant Governor-General of the .Netherlands East Indies, in an interview. “Japan cannot replace her ships quickly, but if we kill half a million Japanese soldiers there are still a million and a half more.” Dr. Van Mook was commanded by the Governor-General of the Netherlands East Indies to leave Java and carry on the stuggle from outside the country. With other high Dutch officials he came by plane from Bandoeng. “We are here to collect all the forces we can get together, so that we can struggle on,” said Dr. Van Mook. “There are many of our people in Australia and a fair number of our naval personnel were able to get away. There is little hope for Java now, but the Dutch and Australians will fight side by side to the last. I believe guerilla fighting will continue in Java for some time. There is a certain amount of bitterness in some quarters of the Netherlands East Indies because there was an expectation of more help than actually arrived. Generally the forces that were in Java fought well, while American ships, Australian troops and others did their very best. No oil has been left for the Japanese. However, there should be an end to destroying and retreating. That has been the general policy among the Allies, and it has not been very effective. If we keep on retreating and losing fights I do not see how we can rally the enthusiasm of the Indians and Chinese. They are expecting something different.”