FAR FROM ENDED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 26 January 1943, Page 3

FAR FROM ENDED

NEW GUINEA CAMPAIGN ,ENEMY NORTHERN BASES STRONGLY HELD. WORK FOR ALL AVAILALBE FORCES. (By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright) SYDNEY, January 25.. “From a long-term view the war picture for the Allies in the Pacific shows many hopeful features. However, Australia and New Zealand have not, to concern themselves immediately with long-range policy, but with checking and repulsing the implacable and swarming foe. For these tasks all the aid which the United Nations are able to send to this theatre will be needed.” This comment on the war in the Pacific is made today by the “Sydney Morning Herald” in an editorial review of the Papuan campaign, which has now been successfully concluded. “However little the Japanese may relish the taste of defeat, they are not likely to regard the abortive invasion of Papua as a wasted enterprise,” says the “Herald.” “Their losses have been far greater than ours, but these must be measured in relation to their present vast preponderance of trained soldiery. Papua is merely a geographical designation and not a military entity, and the Japanese still hold Lae, Salamaua and other bases to the north on the great island of New Guinea. At these points they have been steadily reinforcing while their Buna-Gona troops were fighting a delaying action to the last man. “Australians should realise the continuing strength of the enemy’s position in the great arc extending round this country’s north,” adds the “Herald.” Particularly in the north-east, the Japanese are again mustering great strength in men, planes and ships. From Rabaul and its subsidiary bases enemy aircraft particularly are operating with renewed and menacing vigour.” In the meantime, the first benefit of Japanese eviction from Papua is already becoming apparent. Native rubber tappers who have been serving as carriers for the Allied forces are going back to their peace time jobs. Papua normally produces 1,500,0001 b. of raw rubber annually, and most of the larger plantations expect to maintain their production for the present season at this level.

The Allied troops, who are now resting after the strenuous Papuan campaign, are reported by war correspondents to be convinced that the physical obstacles ahead in New Guinea cannot possibly be wose than those they have already encountered and overcome. The Minister of Shipping, Mr. Beasley, said in Sydney today: “The enemy is still at our gates, and if we are to survive we must face stark reality. We cannot, and must not, under-estim-ate the enemy's capacity to attack the vital centres of our production.”