GREAT NAVAL FORCES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 8 February 1943, Page 4

GREAT NAVAL FORCES

OPPOSED IN SOLOMONS EACH FEELING FOR OTHER’S TREMENDOUS JAPANESE AIR LOSSES. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) (Received This Day, 12.40 p.m.) SYDNEY, This Day. “Both the Americans and the Japanese have great naval forces protecting their respective Solomons bastions,” says the New York “Daily News.” “After nine days these two forces are still feeling for each other’s weaknesses.” However the humilitating Japanese air defeats, such as in Saturday’s battle over Wau, are being accepted in the United States as evidence that Japan has already lost one important phase of the Pacific war. Discussing the recently reported reorganisation of the Japanese Air Force, the American Office of War Information states that enemy plane losses now run into many thousands, meaning that a virtual liquidation of the first-line aircraft and personnel with which Japan embarked on the war. Losses are claimed to have impaired the morale of enemy flyers and Washington says Japanese pilots openly blame their deficient training for losses. Brigadier-General Claire Chennault, head of the American Air Force in China, has joined Australia in a demand for greater air striking power against Japan. He has declared that with 500 more combat planes he “can drive every Japanese out of China and short-circuit enemy shipping between Japan and the Solomons.” China, he says, has the necessary air bases already established, within 300 miles of the Japanese shipping lines to the Solomons, Saigon and Indo-China. SERIOUS VIEW OF OUTLOOK IN PACIFIC. TAKEN BY SOME AMERICAN COMMENTATORS. (Received This Day, 1.5 p.m.) SYDNEY, This Day. Sharp differences of opinion about what is happening in the Pacific, behind the obscurity of guarded official statements, continue to be evident. While many war news analysts are confident of a successful outcome of the great naval battle which is being generally anticipated, others of high reputation warn that the advantages in the action will lie with Japan. “Americans may well pray for , a victory in the Solomons,” writes tne “New York. Sun” columnist, David Lawrence, who says the United States is outnumbered in warships and planes in the South Pacific and that the enemy is fighting from bases more favourably located than those of the Allies. Urging more positive Allied action in this theatre, Mr Lawrence warns that the future may hold serious losses as well as uneasy days. He adds: ‘The cold-blooded decision to wait until after Hitler has been beaten will stand up before public opinion only as long as American forces are victorious.”

A similar warning is given by Warren G. Magnuson, Democratic member for Washington in the House of Representatives, who says it is becoming more and more apparent that the Japanese are the toughest nut the Allies have to crack, with resources making her potentially the strongest military nation in the world. With constant pressure on Japan, even at the expense of time involved in cleaning up Europe, we may find the Atlantic situation cleared, but a stalemate in the Pacific, says Mr Magnuson. Japanese sea and air power must be drained by a continued offensive in the Solomons and New Guinea.”