Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-11-19

Guadalcanal. the equally decisive
news of General MacArthur's
campaign against the japanese
has been underestimate.
II is a major victory. involving
around 10000 troops on our side.
II represents an advance of Is
of 100 miles across mountains
and through jungles in our first
successful land campaign of the
war.
II will smash the Jap base at
Buna, open the way for Mac
Arthur to take Salamaua and
Lac and drive the enemy from
the whole island of New Guinea,
the point of its farthest advance
in its South Pacific conquest.
AS we seize those north shore
plane and naval bases, we will
move within about 200 miles Of
the main South Pacific base of
the Japs at Rabaul. and, from
there, our bombers can make 1t
untenable.
THIS was a typical Macarthur
Il strategic movement. To get
the proper touch of it, you have
TO go back to July when the
Japs struck for Milne Bay.
Their landing force found, to
their surprise. that Macarthur
had anticipated such an attempt
to flank his weak New Guinea
position. He had hidden Aus
tralian troops there. Most of
the Jap landing parties never
reached shore.
Those which succeeded in
landing met. not only the Aus
tralians but also a force OF
American Negroes, sent TO con-
struct an airfield for us.
The Negroes laid down their
shovels, seized machine guns
and distinguished themselves,
exterminating Jap remnants.
(That was when Representative
Mas was there
THE never-ending swarms OF
l. Japanese then burst through
the Owen Stanley mountain pass
in the center of MacArthur's
New Guinea line and moved
within "a miles Of Port Moresby.
our only base. They did it clev-
erly.
They found a secret pass in
the mountains. infiltrated in our
rear. drove us back, endangering
all Australia.
Macarthur put his planes to
pounding the big pass through
which their supplies came over
the mountains. the bridges, the
caches of food and gasoline they
had stored on the narrow trails.
LIS men had schooled them
IL selves in the technique
which the Japs had used against
them-flank advances along side
routes through the jungles, in
filtration. hammering at the
sides and rear (never headlong
in 'front.'.
In the last two weeks they
have outdone the JapS at their
own game. They recaptured the
small Kokoda airfield. They
crossed a main hazard in the
Wairopi River.
They kept couple Of columns
of troops always circling toward
the Jap rear, and fighter planes
and m dunn bombers kept
bombing the Jap bases of sup
plies at Buna and Lac. Mac
Arthur's heavy bombers went
daily for Rabaul to help the ma
rines at Guadalcanal)
THE Japs could not match
Il Macarthur in the air, hence
he has been able to maintain his
own line of supplies. running
back up through the 6,000-foot
pass to Port Moresby. Some
few boats have come around to
the north shore with supplies.
but the advance has been almost
entirely a land movement.
Clearly, if this success had not
come during more spectacular
dramatiques in Africa and Qua
dalcanal. il would be recognized
for what il was-a smart. de-
cisive. large-scale land victory,
the first revenge for Bataan.
Within a few weeks. the Jap
advance forces were so hungry
they decided 10 withdraw to the
pass. expecting 10 hold il. That
is where MacArthut's current
drive began.
NAVY Secretary Knox and
" other navy men are again
saying the Japs will be back at
Guadalcanal. Perhaps they will
but hardly at once. Our VIC
tory there was decisive also.
It is strange but true that the
man in the street read the naval
communique of Jap losses with
suspicion and asked his neighbor:
"Do you think II true?"
The Japs had presented
roundup claim of all our recent
ship losses the day before. add
ing a couple of ships to make il
more impressive. Also, the navy
failed 10 include tho number IF
our ships damaged, mentioning
only those sunk.
But. for what il was. an ac-
counting Of the complete losses
in the three-day battle, the COM
munique was certainly true.