Evening star., 1942-05-01
Gen. BIamey Warns
OF Jap Menace 10
Allied 0utposts
Second Front to Be Set Up
Only When Success Is
More Certain, He Says
BY INC ASSOClaCed FfeSS.
ALLIED HEADQUARTERS,

More Certain, He Says
| By the Associated Press.
ALLIED HEADQUARTERS,
Australia, May 1. - Gen. Sir
Thomas Blamey. Allied land
commander under Gen. Douglas
Macarthur, warned today of the
japanese menace to Allied out
posts, but declared the Allies
were building up their forces
even as the Japanese reinforce
their positions In the islands
above Australia.
Speaking in his first press con-
ference since appointment as COM
mander of the land forces in the
Southwest Pacific, Gen. Blamey re-
ported signs of increased japanese
activity which he said might indi-
cate the foe is preparing for an
attempt to seize Allied outposts or
cut the supply line from the United
States.
He explained that Darwin. North
ern Australia, and Port Moresby,
New Guinea, were the areas
menaced.
I'VE are building up our forces
in these areas" he said. I'VE are
now in a much better position than
we ever have been to meet the
Japanese"
Refuses Forecast.
Increased enemy activity" he
went on, means he has some fur
ther plan. I am not going to fore
cast it.
Seizure of either Darwin or Port
Moresby would not be vital to either
side at the moment, but would be
strategically important to either side
to hold these places as a Jumping
off point"
Gen. Blamey said Allied strength
in Australia very soon would be
built up to such an extent that 1t
will take q very big expedition to
make any impression on this conti-
nent"
Whatever the Japanese plan af-
fecting the Australian area may be-"
he declared, ut would involve in
evitably stretching and Straining
their communications. Our most
important points are at least 1000
miles from the enemy's. If fight
comes we'll give a good account OF
ourselves"
Will Garry War to Japan.
Gen. Blamey said Japan's "imme-
diate hope" in the Asiatic theater
was to complete the encirclement
Of China, but added that 'it is not
yet clear whether completion Of this
objective would leave the Japanese
free to move in other directions"
"Our land forces" he asserted,
"are determined to carry the war
to the enemy's territory as soon as
possible, but not until we are ready
and convinced Of our capacity to
carry it out successfully.
Advocacy of a second front Is
wrongly based at present. Allied
leaders are determined to establish
such a front when we are certain it
will not be wasted and that we will
be able to make a good job Of It,"
The support Australia has been
getting from the United States is far
from token backing" Gen. Blamey
declared.
I'VE are getting q lot of men,"
he said, "and all our forces are
working together in complete unity
Of spirit from the high command
to the troops"
No Indiscriminate Scrambling.
While he expressed hope that q
great many American of1cers would
be given operational commands in
the Allied land forces, Gen. Blamey
said he was not in favor of indis-
criminate "scrambling" Of American
and Australian personnel.
Generally speaking, he explained,
American troops would work under
American commanders and battal-
ions or regimental units would be
kept intact.
He said air cooperation already
was well under way and disclosed
that a portion of the Allied troops
in Australia were being trained as
commando units.