REAL GAIN

Wairarapa Times-Age, 29 August 1942, Page 3

REAL GAIN

MADE IN SOLOMONS MR. FRASER AT PACIFIC COUNCIL. LONG TALKS WITH PRESIDENT. (Bv Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright) WASHINGTON, August .27. The Pacific Council viewed the successes in the Solomons as a real gain. The meeting lasted 90 minutes and was devoted almost exclusively to a report by the New Zealand Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, on the SouthWest Pacific and New Zealand's relation to the battle programme. The New Zealand Minister, Mr Nash, acted as spokesman. Mr Nash told the Press his own impression was that the Allied gain in the Solomons was real. There had been considerable dispersal of the Japanese forces in the South-West Pacific area, and the outlook was rather encouraging. Losses of aeroplanes at one point had been in the proportion of seven Allied against 33 Japanese. Mr Nash said the council discussed the new Japanese landing in New Guinea, but he did not comment on this. He said Mr Fraser reported on his consultations with Mr Curtin and General MacArthur. President Roosevelt discussed the Solomons operations, and Mr Nash, commenting on Press reports, said they had already given most of what was going on. The British Ambassador, Lord Halifax, said MT Fraser, was much impressed with the cordial way in which the Australian and American forces were working together. Mr Fraser lunched with the Secretary of State, Mr Hull. . . The President’s secretary. Mr Early, said Mr Roosevelt stayed up till 2 o'clock this morning talking with Mr Fraser and Mr Henry Grew, who was United States Ambassador in Tokio, in the .President’s study. Mr Nash was also present. Mr Roosevelt and Mr Fraser resumed their conference after breakfast, spending most of the morning together, and then went to the Pacific Council meeting. SOLOMONS BATTLE NO MAJOR VICTORY YET STATEMENT BY AMERICAN HIGH AUTHORITY. SCALE OF THE OPERATIONS. (Received This Day, 10 a.m.) WASHINGTON, August 28. The Associated Press of America says an admonition against the current Solomons operations being described as a major victory came from one oi the highest Government authorities, who preferred that his name should not be mentioned. He said there had actually been two phases of Japanese activities since the American forces established themselves in the Southwestern Pacific. He was worried lest the Press lead the country to believe that a great, smashing victory had been achieved. The first phase was the landing of 700 Japanese, who were wiped, out on Guadalcanal Island. and a series of small aeroplane attacks, in which we came off pretty well destroying between 30 and 32 Japanese aircraft’, against a loss of four. The second phase should not be called a full-scale offensive, but a reconnaissance in force. This was a movement on the Solomons of units of the Japanese fleet. This reconnaissance force has withdrawn. We hit some of the ships and hope we have sunk some, but the high authority said he would hate to have the people get the idea that a major victory had been scored. “COMPLETE VICTORY” CLAIMED BY JAPANESE SPOKESMAN. (Received This Day, 12.30 p.m.) ' NEW YORK, August 28. The Tokio official radio says a Navy spokesman, Mr Hiraide, in a broadcast to the nation, claimed a complete Japanese victory in both. phases of the Solomons battle. He said the United Nations had twice broken off naval and air action in the Solomons after suffering disastrous defeats. “If the British and American navies try to engage us a third or fourth time,” he added, “it is a foregone conclusion that they will be beaten. It would probably be too hasty a judgment to say that the United Nations will abandon a fresh attempt, because 10,000 marines have been landed in the Solomons whose lives are at stake. The second action had been fought by the United Nations, the spokesman said, for political reasonrs, to hearten the flagging morale of Australia. as the war orphan of the Pacific. He continued that this second phase of the battle began on Monday, when Japanese units located a United States formation composed of two battleships, one large and two medium carriers, several cruisers and many destroyers heading towards Tulagi. Japanese

planes immediately attacked and the Allied ships escaped only under cover of darkness. ‘“Strategically,” said the spokesman, “we have won a complete victory, as we have thoroughly frustrated the enemy’s plans. The Japanese Navy is stoutly determined to crush any new enemy challenge against the Solomons or any part of the Pacific.”