Evening star., 1942-03-18
Macarthur Facing Great Odds
In Australia, Experts Declare
Advantages Offset by Many Hondicops,
But New Base Can Keep Jops Occupied

Gen. Douglas Macarthur is fac
ing an extremely formidable task in
directing the battle for Australia.
military experts declared today in
cautioning against a wave of false
optimism.
The odds, they pointed out, were
still heavy in the enemy's favor,
however much the United Nations
may have been heartened by the
arrival Of American troops in con-
siderable strength or by Gen. Mac
Arthur's dramatic shift from Bataan
to the Australian theater.
In all analyses of the situation,
the most these authorities would
venture was that the Japanese would
be in for the fiercest campaign of
the war If they attempt to blitz
Australia as they have smashed
Singapore and the Dutch Indies.
The expectation was that the
enemy would risk the campaign,
nevertheless. If the Japanese do
not attempt it, or If they make the
attempt and meet with failure, then
the great island continent down
under remains securely in the hands
of the United Nations as the SOUTH
ern jumping-off point for a major
offensive once sufficient men and
materiel have been massed.
Long and Costly Job.
If Gen. Macarthur can hold Aus
tralia for such a day, the experts
said, the Australian. American,
Dutch and British fighting men
serving in his command have long
and costly job ahead, with plenty
of reserves tG match the successes
they may win.
The strategy the task calls for
goes well with Gen. Macarthur
military temperament. 1t is the
strategy Of dynamic defense
striking out as hard and as often
as possible at the enemy. The Aus
tralians already have put it into
effect. hammering away savagely
from the air at the Japanese foot
holds in nearby islands to keep po-
tential invading forces of balance,
so to speak.
For the undertaking Gen. Mac
Arthur has many advantages he did
not possess In the Philippines and
probably as many disadvantages.
He has more troops and better
air strength at his command.
He can organize his ground de-
fenses in great depth because OF the
vast area of the country.
He can expect reinforcements,
whereas it was virtually impossible
to get them to the Philippines.
He can develop numerous air
bases-the important ones beyond
the reach Of hghter-protected Jap
anese bombers-whereas in the
Philippines his air bases were few,
vulnerable and compactly situated.
He is not apt to be hampered by
any Japanese fifth column or espi-
onage activity.
Faces Many DISADVANTAGES.
Then the disadvantages:
He has to defend a vast, sparsely
settled country with a very long
coast line.
He has an enormous problem of
supply because Of the great dis
tances and meager transportation
facilities in much of the country.
Moreover, he must use some of his
forces to protect the long route run
ming northward through the conti-
nent to the Darwin area from the
industrialized Brisbane Sydney
Melbourne region in the southeast
corner.
His lifeline to the United States
is likewise extremely long, and the
Japanese can be expected to exert
every effort to harry it.
He faces an enemy that still holds
the initiative and heavy numerical
superiority.
Military experts were of the opin-
ion that the battle for Australia
would prove a war Of maneuver. as
contrasted with the war Of position
being waged on Bataan.
It was considered doubtful that
Gen. MacArthur-even If he tried
could prevent the establishment Of
enemy beachheads along Australia's
long, exposed coast line. A static
Gordon defense would require an
astronomical number of men.
Rather, it was believed that Gen.
Macarthur would meet such threats
by counterpunching with fast,
ard-hitting mobile ground forces.
backed up by the aerial blows of
fighter and bomber commands held
In reserve at salient bases for just
such an emergency. Thus, once
the Japanese had landed. they
would have the difficult assignment
of exploiting their advantage in
the teeth of strong Allied air and
ground opposition.
Blocks Offensive Elsewhere.
Strategists here said that so long
as Australia could be held by such
tactics and as long as American
reinforcements continued to arrive
there. the Japanese could not un-
dertake a major new offensive in
any other direction without grave
risk.
III