MUST BE RETAINED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 23 September 1942, Page 3

MUST BE RETAINED

PORT MORESBY BASE VIEWS OF AMERICAN WRITER. NEW GUINEA AS TESTING GROUND. (Special Australian Correspondent.) SYDNEY, September 22. Japanese troops in the Solomons are counting on the arrival of reinforcements. By their usual infiltration methods they are endeavouring to discover the strength of the American marine forces and the position of the defences. When Japan returns to the attack it is believed transports may accompany the battle fleet to attempt large-scale landings. Major Fielding-Eliot, in the New York “Herald-Tribune,” emphasises the importance of Port Moresby, against which he also anticipates Japanese action. He declares that its fall would entail the consequent loss of our footholds in the Solomons and the disappearance of the bright hopes of ejecting the Japanese from all this part of the Pacific.” In addition, the Japanese would be enabled to convert New Guinea into a base for operations against Australia and to resume their offensive against the Allied lines of communication in the south Pacific. “But if the Allies lose Port Moresby

there will be no possible alibi or excuse,” he says. “It will be through failure of leadership, resourcefulness and imagination. We, had plenty of time to get ready—the threat to Port Moresby had long been recognised. “There is something ominous about the fact that the Japanese are apparently in greater strength in New Guinea than our commanders in that area supposed. New Guinea is likely to be the testing ground of Japanese ability to outwit us. We have had ample opportunity to study Japanese methods and tactics. Both American and Australian troops have also demonstrated that they are at least equal to the Japanese in personal fighting qualities.” The Japanese are “dirty fighters who just can’t be given a break,” says Mr Joe Custer, American war correspondent, in a dispatch from Guadalcanar. Often Japanese have pretended to be dead and then thrown grenades ar marines attending the wounded. Japanese commandos were often six feet tall and fought like demons. ‘Some of our men thought they acted as if they were doped,” writes Custer. ‘They loaded themselves with mines and hand grenades and ran right into our tanks and machine-gun positions. When obviously beaten they refused to surrender.”