Evening star., 1942-07-25
New Guinea Threat


Japan's new thrust southwark
down the New Guinea coast may be
compared tactically to it's seizure of
our outermost Aleutian Islands. AS
yet, the operation is minor one, so
far as numbers of men and strength
OF equipment are concerned. Yet i'm
portant strategic possibilities are in
volved which have awakened prompt
alarm in Australia.
The japanese landing took place
at Coma, a small mission station on
the northern side of the mountainous
peninsula where the giant island of
New Guinea contracts into a long
finger pointing at Australia. Directly
across the peninsula lies Port
Moresby, the Allied advance base,
strongly garrisoned by Australian
and American troops. Although the
airline distance between Port Mores-
by and the new japanese outpost is
only trifle over 100 miles, the in
terval is blocked by lofty mountain
range averaging more than 10000
feet in height and clothed with dense
tropic jungle. The Japanese have
picked the one spot where a rough
mountain road crosses the range by
a 7,000-foot pass. This road is 50
narrow and tortuous that it is not
considered likely to be usable for
heavy mechanical equipment. But
the Japanese have shown themselves
50 resourceful that inf1ltration tao
tics may be possible If they CONSOLE
date their new position and land
large forces. AS yet, they appear to
have put ashore only about 1000
troops, and these are being contin-
ually bombed by Australian and
American planes from Port Moresby,
which have already sunk or dam
aged several japanese ships.
Nevertheless, the japanese have
extended their hold some $50 miles
beyond their original bases at Sala-
maua and Lac, and Australia is fully
alive to this fresh forward move.
Prime Minister John Curtin states
that the new landing Is clear in
dication that the japanese threat to
Australia continues grave. Declaring
that for months the japanese had
been working like beavers" to con-
solidate their footholds on New
Guinea, the Prime Minister declared
that the Australians must meet the
situation "by working like beavers
also. While the japanese may
accept halt temporarily, their pur-
pose remains unshaken."
In the larger sense, this is no over
statement. Yet, for the moment, the
japanese purpose may be either
demonstration to put the Allies on
the defensive in this region or
limited offensive aiming, at most, to
take Port Moresby and thus secure
their extreme southern flank while
they undertake major operations in
China, Siberia or India. Here, again,
a parallel may be drawn with the
outer Aleutians, which many military
observers deem a japanese safe
guarding of their northern flank
against American interference rather
than an immediate first step toward
an invasion OF Alaska proper.
What the japanese are up to in
New Guinea, time alone can tell
One indication will be the strength
with which they occupy their new
foothold. Other indications will be
their movements in China and to-
wards Siberia or India. The Japa-
nese presumably have neither the
strength nor the strategic incli-
nation to launch more than one
major offensive at the same moment.
direct move on Australia would be
an operation on grand scale. Such
a campaign cannot be launched
without warning. And meanwhile
the japanese In New Guinea are in
for a rough time. The Allied air arm
will see to that.