Evening star., 1942-04-30
Japs Stunned al First
By Allied Offensive
Over New Guinea
Australians Continue
To Stress Importance
Of U. S. Fighter PIones
By JOHN LARDNER.

! DN JoI1IS LAnDNLA,
Foreign Correspondent of The Star and
North American Newspaper Alliance.
AN ADVANCED ALLIED BASE
IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC, April
30.-Almost daily across this rich
| green earth go warplanes carrying
more than bombs and bullets to the
Japanese footholds to the north
carrying more than mere destruc-
ton. These bombers, dive bombers
and fighters carry the initiative
the prize for which the United Ma
| tions are now playing all up and
down the ocean battle-ground from
Toxic to Melbourne.
Lashing raids on Lac and Sala-
maua, New Guinea, and Rabaul,
New Britain, were the earliest
symptoms of the Allied air offensive.
For short time the japanese
seemed stunned, or short-handed,
and unable to retaliate here.
However, Fojo showed he had
been stung to action and there have
been a few raids on Port Moresby
lately. During one raid, while the
blazing Papuan sun beat down, I
watched the show from the balcony
of a white, deserted house perched
on one of the green hills. There
were red bougainvillaea blossoms
around the balcony, butterflies in
the air, strange birds mocking from
the bush, and dog fights and bursts
of aircraft fire overhead.
More Fighter Planes Urged.
Soon the japanese bombers and
fighters were beaten off and van
iShed to the north. The raid was
not effective, especially when COM
pared with the powerful Allied
sorties against New Britain which
are running interference for the
Allied plan to seize the offensive.
One point should be stressed in
this connection. America is max
ing planes said to be the best pur-
suits in the world. This is the place
for them and now is the time. Some
OF the worlds best flyers are here
Itching TO combine their skill and
experience with the finest products |
OF Americas war laboratories.
That will be our greatest asset
more and better fighter planes" said
an Australian squadron leader.
The ground being ready and the |
enemy weakened, it is up to the |
United States to get the best weap-
ons here. Observers feel the Japs |
can never take Papua, the stoplight
where Tojo's southwark drive came |
to dead halt. Observers go fur
ther and say this is not the point
they do not think in terms of hold |
ing, but Of striking forward.
Houses Evacuated.
The war is to some extent lost in |
the lush jungle of New Guinea. As
you approach its southern shore
from the Coral Sea you see dark |
fences of mountains which grow
green and bright with flowers the /
closer you come to Moresby's little |
port. White houses overlook the
town and harbor from seats in a |
broad, natural amphitheater of |
green hills.
The houses have been evacuated.
as are the shipping plants and copra |
stores along the shore. Peacetime |
commerce was largely controlled by |
the Burns-Philip Co., a far-fIunr
Pacific merchant and trading house
whose copra store fronts on the
Moresby Harbor.
Ihe native women, called 'Marys,"
have been removed, but the native |
men are here in swarming numbers,
In brlght-colored ramis or sarongs, |
their frlzzled hair sometimes dved a |
yelloWish red These men are soft
spoken, intelligent, well-informed,
ana serve both as workers and serv- |
ants 10 the army and air force.
In the evening, at the quarters of
Maj. Gen. Basil M. Norris, COM
manding the Allied forces here, a
native boy called Jellicoe played the |
harmonica-the first this cor !
respondent has seen since leaving
America.
Changes His Tune.
At first Jellicoe let the missionary
influence grip his soul and his tunes
had a slight Salvation Army tinge,
but pretty soon he got hot in a
musical minor native strain and his
minstrelsy was in key with the rich
landscape and the rain beating down
on tin roof.
This is the end Of the rainy sea-
son. Shortly a 30-mile strip of
coastal Papua will be dry and brown,
though the interior never loses its |