Evening star., 1942-08-01
New Guinea Front

On AuStralia's tropic outpost a
new battle front is emerging. AS
yet the numbers of men and quanti-
ties OF equipment involved are small.
But other backgrounds, from Nor
way to North Africa, have shown
that the numerical strength of con-
tending forces is no criterion of the
strategic stakes. 1t is therefore safe
to say that, though the coming strug-
gle in New Guinea presumably never
will involve large bodies of troops,
owing to difficulties of terrain and
transportation, the outcome of the
campaign will profoundly affect the
entire South Pacific situation.
The battle-ground is the southeast
ern end of New Guinea where the
main bulk of that huge island mar
rows to long peninsula averaging
about 100 miles wide. This peninsula
is geographically giant "hogs-
back Down its middle towers the
Owen Stanley Range of mountains, a
solid wall Of rock from 10000 to 1000
feet high. At one point only is there
nick in this otherwise unscalable
wall draped with impenetrable rain
forest. This is 7,000-foot pass over
which winds a road so rough and
narrow that it has never been prac-
ticable for heavy traffic. The south
ern end OF that unpromising jungle
roadway is Port Moresby, the ad-
vance base which protects the north
ern coast of the Australian conti-
nent, lying across the warm Coral
Sea which narrows to the island
studded Torres Strait between New
Guinea and Australia.
Protected by the curving peninsula
of New Guinea, Port Moresby hither-
to has been unassailable by direct
japanese attack. When the Japa-
nese gained their first footholds on
the north coast, at Salamaua and
Lac, shortly after their entry into
the present war, they tried to cross
the mountains via the Markham
Valley. That attempt was a dismal
failure. The Markham Valley dead
ends in impenetrable forest, and the
invaders were soon literally washed
back to the seacoast by floods due
to torrential seasonal rains.
Foiled there, the Japanese are
making second attempt by their
seizure of Buna, an obscure inlet
some 200 miles southeast of Sala-
maua, and the northern end OF the
transmountain trail from Port
Moresby. AS far as the mountains
the terrain is favorable, consisting
largely Of rising grasslands This
north coast of the peninsula is rela
lively dry, protected by the noun
tains from the heaviest rains. Open
country makes possible the construc-
ton of air fields.
Apparently the Japanese advance
has now reached the foothills Of the
main range, where the grasslands
give way to rain forest. Here the
japanese are reported skirmishing
with tough Australian bush fighters
who know the country well and are
expert in jungle warfare. The real
test will come when the invaders try
to force the 7,000-foot pass, a dank
rain-drenched place, almost per-
petually draped in clouds.
Even if the japanese force the pass
their troubles will not be over. The
southern slope of the range Is much
sleeper, Wetter, and with denser
vegetation. It is nearly fifty miles
from the summit of the pass to Port
Moresby,
Thus the japanese force landed al
Buna has long and difficult roao
ahead. Yet the skill and resourceful-
| ness displayed by the little brown
men in Malaga and Burma shoW.they
are not to be discounted. The strug-
gle for Port Moresby is on. The Jap.
nese can be counted on to fight fol
the prize with dogged tenacity.