OUTLOOK IN PACIFIC

Wairarapa Times-Age, 9 August 1943, Page 3

OUTLOOK IN PACIFIC

MACARTHUR CONGRATULATES

HALSEY MILITARY COMMANDERS CHEERFUL. j NEW YORK PAPERS RATHER TROUBLED. (By Telegraph—-Press Association —Copyright) SYDNEY, August 7. General MacArthur has sent‘the following congratulatory message to Admiral Halsey: “The operations resulting in the capture of Munda represent a splendid performance which reflects great credit not only on you personally, but upon your local commanders and all components of forces engaged, ground, naval, and air. Please express to them my deep appreciation of their determined and purposeful effort and my congratulations on their complete victory." “We now have the tools and the men to do the job—the outlook is beautiful,” declared Lieutenant-General Vandergrift, commander of the United States Marine Corps in the Pacfic. Admirals Nimitz. and Halsey also speak optimistically of the progress in the Pacific war. General Vandergrift, who commanded the United. States Marines in the capture of Guadalcanal, has now returned to the South Pacific to a greatly reinforced Marine Amphibious Corps. This corps he says is now ready for action and its strength should make an important contribution to Allied progress in the Pacific. “We are entering the second year of the Battle of the South Pacific with every confidence of victory.” said Admiral Halsey at a special interview on the anniversary of the opening of the Solomons campaign. He added: "Wc shall push forward till the Battle of the South Pacific has become the Battle of Japan. Wc shall destroy the Jap. We view what lies ahead with a satisfaction that comes from having thus far soundly beaten a powerful enemy in every phase of air, land and sea warfare. Now our forces are stronger than at any time since we first began the bitter task of driving the Japanese out of the lands they seized. What is more, wo learned by grim, bloody experience, the best manner in which to deal with a crafty foe, who appears desperately determined to resist till he is destroyed.”, Admiral Halsej' was cheerful over the capture of Munda and said every island taken by the Allies was a potential aircraft-carrier piling up trouble for Japan. Speaking at Hono- , lulu, Admiral Nimitz, Commander-in-Chief of the United States Pacific Fleet, said recent attacks on the Japanese at Paramushiro, Wake Island, and Surabaya, demonstrated the enemy’s vulnerability. The whole perimeter of Japan's temporary conquests was now open to attack at the right time. The obstinacy of the Japanese resistance at Munda has depressed some American ntws analysts. The New York “World Telegram" says: “After 35 days of sweat and blood American jungle fighters have finally taken Munda. Some months ago the South Pacific Commander-in-Chief, Admiral Halsey, boasted we would be in Tokio by Christmas. Maybe. But if the Solomons were the only route, the Japanese war, at the present rate, would not end in this generation.” “The loss of Munda through the extermination of 5000 Japanese troops will have satisfied Tokio as much as Washington,” comments the New York “Herald-Tribune." "The sacrifice of 100,000 troops would not be too heavy a price for Tokio to pay for the advantage of keeping General MacArthur busy in these inconsequential islands for another winter.”