Wairarapa Times-Age WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27, 1943. “PATTERNS FOR VICTORY”

Wairarapa Times-Age, 27 January 1943, Page 2

Wairarapa Times-Age WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27, 1943. “PATTERNS FOR VICTORY”

QNE of yesterday’s cablegrams from London, reported that “the expectation of a statement by the United Nations has been a matter for speculation in a majority of newspapers during the last few days.” It was added that commentators both in London and Washington are using phrases such as “broad outlines of patterns for victory” and “one world strategy, unifyiiig the plans of the Allies.” At the stage now reached in the war, some broad disclosure and declaration of Allied joint policy, particularly in regard to such matters as the formation of an Allied War Council on which Russia and China, as well as Britain and the United States, would be represented, no doubt would be. timely and acceptable. So far as the direct conduct of the war is concerned, however, it must be hoped and indeed assumed that whatever plans for extended offensive action the Allies are now maturing will, be disclosed in action, rather than in any declaration, even in broad outline, of “patterns for victory.” As all the world knows now, an. excellent pattern for victory was shaped in 1942, during the many months in which preparations were, being made for the landings in North Africa. These preparations went on, behind as close a veil of secrecy as could be drawn about them, during a long period in which impassioned and at times indignant appeals were being made for the opening of a second front in Europe. The answer to these appeals was delayed, but was made eventually in action that came like a bolt from the blue. Nothing better can be desired than that this process should be repeated, and extended on the greatest scale the resources of the United Nations will permit.

Now that the Allies have grasped the initiative in several great theatres of war, and in spite of some still formidable limiting factors, of which the greatest is the continued menace and drain of the German U-boat campaign, there is an electric expectation of vital developments impending. No doubt this expectation is perfectly justified, for it is by bold enterprise and a maximum use of resources that the Allies will broaden their initiative and turn it increasingly to account.

lii spite of some pessimistic talk, it may be hoped not unreasonably that arrangements are well in hand for the decisive rounding off of the North African campaign to -which the Eighth Army has made and is making an epoch-making contribution. The complete conquest of the southern shore of the Mediterranean, highly important in itself, will be an introduction to attacks on the enemy in Europe—-attacks which assuredly will not be made only from the North African springboard.

Much -will depend, also, on the extent to which the Allies are able to spare resources from Europe for action against, Japan in the Pacific. To a considerable extent botli Britain and the United States are at present giving priority to the demands of the African and European theatres and the Atlantic, but this does not of necessity preclude the possibility of an expansion of offensive action in the Pacific.

Action on these lines was more than hinted at by General MacArthur in some observations reported yesterday. Declaring that air power, with its “swift, massive strokes,” was the key to victory, the Allied Commander-in-Chief in the South-Western Pacific affirmed that by the fullest use of air power many enemy strongpoints could be bypassed and decisive blows dealt to vital centres. Much as he emphasised the importance of air power, General MacArthur made it clear that his ultimate reliance is on an effective development of land, sea and air co-operation.

In the conditions existing at present in the Pacific, the policy outlined by General MacArthur, avowedly as' an alternative to a. costly island-to-island advance, opens up very wide possibilities. If these possibilities are to be put to the test at any time in the near future it must be upon the basis of. pref parations already well in hand.