Evening star., 1942-03-08
Australians Heartened
By Reports Of U. 5.
Conveys on Way
Allied Pacific Strategy
Worked Out, Offensive
Planned, People Told

BY the Associated Press.
MELBOURNE, Australia March
T.-Australians linked reports via
London today that great conveys
of American troops are moving
through the Southwestern Pacific
with assertions of their own govern
ment leaders that London and
Washington are working out plans
for an offensive from Australia and
India aimed at driving the Japanese
back to Toxic and Yokohama.
John Beasley. Australian Supply
Minister, said in speech at Sydney
that within the past week complete
organization for Allied strategy in
the Pacific has been worked out"
THE enemy has long supply line
which We can cut, leaving him at the
end of a line without support for his
forces Time is the only factor we
have to deal with, and given time,
we, in association with our Allies,
can drive the enemy to Toxic and
Yokohama"
Other government leaders said
they were informed that the United
Nations are assembling their maxi
mum strength in the Southwest
Pacific at the earliest possible mo-
ment for such an offensive.
Repeated Brushes Reported.
The dispatches from London,
quoting a Daily Mail correspondent
accredited to the United States
Pacific Fleet, said large conveys
loaded with American troops. air
men, planes, guns, tanks and ma
terials to be used to build the
foundations for a great offensive"
were moving through the Pacific
toward Australia.
The Toxic radio in the past 10
days has told of repeated brushes
with American naval and air forces
all the way from northeast of New
Guinea. north of Australia, to Wake
Island and Minamitori Shima MAR
Gus Island), 1,400 miles from Toxic.
The United States Navy, hoy
ever, has confirmed but one of
them, an attack by 18 Japanese
bombers on a task force northeast
of New Guinea in which Is of the
Japanese planes were shot down.
Employment of tanks by the
British for the first time in Burma
was looked upon here as a strength
ening of that front to gain time
for the maturing of plans in India.
Meanwhile. the critical situation
IN Java, Netherlands Indies. en-
phasized to Australians the urgency
of their problem Of holding this
continent against incursionS until
the Allied offensive can be prepared.
Way Or.,n for Attack.
japanese conquest of Java would
open the way for an all-out attack
on Australia not within months, but
weeks, the people have been warned,
and government leaders hurried
plans for the drafting of all men
up to the age of so to man the de-
fenses and build war materials.
Place names and direction signs
over a 100-mile wide belt along the
endangered north and west coast
were reported painted out as a Sc
curity measure against invaders,
and all Britons from 16 years up
were ordered to register with labor
authorities.
The only military activity re.
ported in the Australian area today
was in the air, the Australians
bombing Japanese occupied air
bases at Koepang, Dutch Timor,
and Gasmata. New Britain, take-o1
points which are 500 and 700 miles
from the Australian mainland. Re-
suits of the raids were not an
nounced, although it was said ef-
forts of the Japanese to intercept
the far-ranging bombers were un-
successful.
The japanese also made another
of their air attacks on Port Moresby,
in southeastern New Guinea, 300
miles from the Australian main
land, and on Lac in New Guinea.
There were no reports Of damage
or casualties.