ADVANTAGE HELD

Wairarapa Times-Age, 16 September 1942, Page 3

ADVANTAGE HELD

BY ALLIES IN PACIFIC

HIGH AMERICAN OFFICER'S OPINION.

NEED OF ACTIVE POLICY

LONDON, September 15

lii New Guinea the Australians are st ill holding up 1 lie •Japanese alfem.pt Io advance on Port Moresby.

General Sir T. Blarney, Commander-in-Chief of the Australian land forces, has just returned from a visit to Papua. He expressed his confidence that the Japanese would be unable to take the big Allied base of Port Moresby. A high United States officer states that -American forces now hold the balance of striking power in the Western Pacific, at any rate for the time being. “I think we are in a position to hold the Japanese in the Pacific.” he said. “This cannot be done merely by resting on our laurels . We have got to keep hustling. We have, for the time being, turned the balance of power in the Pacific.”

GUERILLA TRAINING

NEEDED BY ALLIED TROOPS.

OPPOSING JAPANESE IN ISLANDS.

(Special Australian. Correspondent.) SYDNEY, September 15.

“We must overhaul our enure concept of waging war against the Japanese. We must beat the Japanese at his own game—out-scheme him, out-infil-trate him, and always try to get in the first blow,” states the Sydney “Sun.” “Japan’s successes in New Guinea prove the bitter lessons of Malaya to be still unlearned. Before the United Nations can have any hopes of solid successes in the south Pacific every Allied soldier must be thoroughly trained in commando methods.” Every Australian newspaper is expressing similar views. American newspapermen in their dispatches to the United States also stress the need for the American soldiers who will oppose the Japanese to have guerilla training. It is felt here that these needs apply not only to New Guinea but also throughout the South-West Pacific, where the island-hopping offensive to which the United Nations are committed must result in land warfare basically of the guerilla type. This is warfare of a type that is peculiarly suited to the special talents of the Australian and New Zealand soldiers, and a wide belief is being loudly proclaimed here that in equipment, training. tactics and strategy the Allied troops in the South Pacific must, be fitted for the shock of beach landings and close jungle fighting.

JAPANESE PRISONERS

TAKEN IN THE SOLOMONS. LONDON, September. 15. It is learned that the United States marines in their attack in the Solomon Islands took 450 Japanese prisoners, who have now been removed to an unnamed port outside that area. Another message states that the Japanese prisoners were astonished at finding that they were not to be killed and were well treated. Many of thern. expressed a desire never to return to Japan. „