LONG STRUGGLE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 25 March 1943, Page 4

LONG STRUGGLE

ANTICIPATED IN PACIFIC FEDERAL PRIME MINISTER’S VIEW. NO CHANGE IN ALLIED STRATEGY. (By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright) (Received This Day, 11.40 a.m.) CANBERRA. This Day. “There is nothing to suggest that the Pacific war will end soon. All indications are that the Pacific struggle will last longer than the struggle in Europe.”—Mr Curtin, in making this statement, added that, whether Australia liked it or not, the fact was that her role was to help to hold Japan for an indefinite period, until Hitler had been beaten. The Prime Minister was replying to a question in the House of Representatives as to whether Mr Churchill’s recent broadcast references to the Pacific warranted tjie Commonwealth Government'making'a complete review of the war situation. “I do not regard the British Prime Minister’s statement as ah indication of any change in the strategical problems of the Pacific,” answered Mr Curtin. “This is not the first time we have been told that global strategy means the defeat of Hitler first. But we have to bear in mind that when the European struggle is over, the aid given us will, be measured by the capacity to send it. Ships will be an important consideration then as they are now. The drain on our resources will be long. We must, therefore, practise the maximum economy in order to devote the utmost to war purposes. Although global policy is not comforting for such countries as China and Australia, we must play our part in the total strategy and fulfil the role which has been assigned to us.”