TOUGH TASK

Wairarapa Times-Age, 21 October 1942, Page 4

TOUGH TASK

FACED BY AMERICANS IN SOLOMONS BUT DIFFICULTIES FORESEEN. HIGH COMMAND DIFFERENCES DENIED. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) (Received This Day, 11.40 a.f.) NEW YORK, October 20. David Lawrence, writing in the “New York Sun,” says: “In its effort to make the marines’ position in the Solomons secure, the United States Navy is up against one of the toughest tasks in its history, but the difficulties involved have been foreseen fropi the very beginning. One thing that is causing Navy men concern is the public’s apparent inability to understand the real nature of the job and the reasons for the manner in which the news is handled from the Pacific area.

“Thus,” he continues, “criticism that Army forces in Australia under General MacArthur are not being utilised to help the marines • is a misunderstanding of the nature of the operations. An assumption that the Army forces in Australia or anywhere else are not permitted to do something they ought to do is to say that General Marshall has not an opportunity to express himself or to influence the strategy that is finally adopted. This, of course, is unfounded, because it is well known that there has been substantial agreement right along between the members of the High Command. Deception as to losses is practised by all the navies in the world as an integral part of strategy. Policies differ with the situation arising. One thing can be stated positively—-the .High Command of the Army and Navy is not holding back news because of any relationship to the problem of morale on the Home front. The reasons, are strategic and the American people must trust the High Command, which knows what it is doing and is interested only in victory, not politics or morale problems away from the fighting fronts. There is unity of command and of purpose between the United States Chiefs of Staff.”