GOADING JAPAN?

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 January 1943, Page 4

GOADING JAPAN?

ADMIRAL HALSEY’S RECENT STATEMENT DISCUSSION IN UNITED STATES. STRATEGY AND SHIPPING. (Special Australian Correspondent.) . (Received This Day, 12.10 p.m.) SYDNEY ,This Day. The “New York Sun” writer, Mr David Lawrence, quotes Admiral Halsey’s recent statements as among the Allied efforts to goad the short-tempered Japanese war lords into pursuing the expensive fiaht in the South Pacific. He declares that it would be a pity if the Japanese withdrew in this area, thus presenting a less vulnerable target at the end of their attenuated supply lines. Some American authorities, including the well-informed “Wall Street Journal,” believe that Japan’s present moves are aimed at securing her southern defensive arc, so that she may relieve her shipping strain by shifting a sizeable portion of her heavy industries close to her sources of raw materials in the South Sea areas. This would free a million tons of shipping for essential war tasks and would enable the widest utilisation of unlimited native labour. . „ The New York journal American, says editorially, that the dissatisfaction’in Australia and China at the conduct of the war against Japan is a matter of grave concern. The danger is not only that the Japanese are beins allowed to entrench theinselves. “It is potentially a , fatal situation when some of the United Nations believe that available resources are denied to them,” declares the paper. “Our all-over war policy should be reexamined in light of our present opportunities and the requirements for victory.”

BOLDLY CONFIDENT

UNITED STATES NAVAL FORCES.

OF OUTCOME OF ENGAGEMENT WITH JAPANESE.

(Special Australian Correspondent.) (Recived This Day, 12.50 p.m.) SYDNEY, This Day. The United States naval forces are boldly confident of the outcome cf any engagement with the Japanese fleet, according to reports of Australian and American war correspondents with the United States South Pacific Fleet. With the American-held Southern Solomons seen as the probable objective for a further Japanese drive, they point out America’s naval and air position in this theatre is much stronger than before Christmas, when Admiral Halsey “trailed his coat” -through the south-western waters in a vain attempt to induce the Japanese to give battle. Admiral Greenslade, Commander of the San Francisco Naval District, described the Solomons as a “baited trap” where the Japanese head has been caught, and the carcase must inevitably follow and be pinioned,” while Mr Foster Hailey, the “New York Times” South Pacific correspondent, says Guadalcanal is now securely in American hands, and is being strengthened as a base for a further offensive move. Any action is expected to result from a move by a large part of the Rabaul armada, combined with activity by other enemy war shipping in the Northern Solomons and mandated areas. An indication of the strength of the Japanese Rabaul concentration is the statement that it is “comparable with the Midway convoy,” which comprised 54 war vessels, exclusive of transports.