Evening star., 1942-05-10
Australians Still
Facing Serious
Enemy Threats
BY c. YATES MCDANIEL,

ALLIED H E A D Q y ARTERS,
Australia, May Australia
counted herself saved tonight
from the dread menace of imme-
diate japanese invasion, under
! which she has lived this past
week, as Gen. Douglas MacAr-
thur announced that the enemy
had been thrown back in the
wars greatest sea and air battle
at relatively slight" cost to
the victorious defending forces,
chiefly American.
The battle of the Coral Sea, at
least its first phase, roaring,
flashing, swirling combat spread
over six days and great reaches of
the waters just northeast of this
continent, had temporarily ceased -
Gen. MacArthur's war bulletins
told categorically of Allied success,
the enemy repulsed, the initiative
to attack still in Allied hands.
United Nations leaders warned
however, that this probably was only
the first round with greater battles
yet to be fought" as Prime Min
lister John Curtin put it, "as part
of struggle which must continue
until the enemy is defeated or We
are conquered"
Situation Still Serious.
From advanced bases near the
scene of battle, from which land
based United States Army bombers
took off to join the fight, came
authoritative word that it was not
at all certain that japanese forces
in this area had been accounted for
Authorities there insisted the sit
uation still was serious. 1t was not
known how far the enemy had
withdrawn, perhaps to gather
strength for a new and greater
smash into the Coral Sea. One
bomber unit found a japanese con-
voy still south of New Britain, north
Of the battle area, only yesterday.
But the United Nations had Gen.
MacArthurs word for 1t that the
Mikado's armada had been repulsed
with II of his ships sunk and s
others gravely crippled and that
"our attacks will continue"
Further, they had his assurance
that Tokio's claims as to Allied
losses were fantastic" its accounts
Of the battle entirely fictional"
Spearhead Believed Blunted.
The feeling here at headquarters
was that at the least United States
and Australian sea and air power
had blunted, if not broken, the
spearhead of the first major Jap
anese attempt to resume the south
ward drive since the conquest of
Malaga and the Netherlands Indies.
Further news was awaited before
experts would conclude whether this
dItlC SllOulo Will dS
one of history's turning points, and
whether the japanese henceforth
would remain out of the Coral Sea
as the German high seas fleet
avoided the open North Sea
after 1915.
1t was widely agreed, however
that this fight marked the greatest
setback in Japan's short naval his
tory, hitherto unmarried by major
defeat
United States Army airmen re-
turning to an advanced base after
joining their carrier based fellows
and Allied warships in the last
stages of the battle described Jap
anese warships as wheeling and
turning in desperation that left
long, curling wakes, like the thresh-
ing of wounded snake, as they
sought to dodge the blows from
above and on the surface.
Authorities at these bases ex-
pressed confidence that for the time
being the threat of invasion for
Australia, New Caledonia where
American troops stand guard or
the southern coast of New Guinea
was ended. But they warned against
over-optimism and insisted the sit
uation still was serious
1t still was not clear whether
the japanese intent had been to
(See AUSTRALIA, Page A-10D