Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-08-11
The W. az
TODAY
Allies Prove
Offensive Tactics
At 'SoIomonS
BY MAI. PAUL c. RABoRG
Written Especially for lnterna
tionaI News Service and The
Detroit Times.

Written Especially Tor INTERIM
tlonal News Service and The
Detroit Times.
The bold offensive stroke Of
United States and Australian
armed forces 49, land. sea and air
at the strongly held japanese
Solomon Islands is proof positive
that the United Nations arc con-
Quoting an entirely aggressive
warfare wherever possible.
All critics who think our war
effort is not keyed TO offensive
action should stop and realize
that this is the third great
American blow.
The other two were the battle
Of the Coral Sea. and Midway. IN
which Gen. Douglas Macarthur
ind Admiral Chester w. Nimitz
discovered, through intelligence
service. Japanese intentions, and
IN each case hit the enemy
souarely between the eyes before
they were ready to act.
LINES EXTENSIVE
This is all the more encourag-
ng when you stop 10 think that
commencing with the Japanese
nele western end Of the Aleutlans,
the Japanese are spread in a
huge line squarely across the Far
East in most strongly occupied
positions that are all surrounded
and protected by land-base air
planes.
Their stronghold is the Jap
snese islands. Thence they 90
south and west through the Phil
ppines 10 and including Burma,
French Indo-China, the Malayan
peninsula. and Thailand.
In other words. our navy has
his tremendous line to guard
which contains certain definitely
highly dangerous places. The
Japanese may strike at Alaska,
hey may hit at India, or the
slow may fall against Australia.
II might even be directed at the
.ar western island of Madagascar.
JAPs CovET ISLES
There can be no question but
hat the Japanese high command
wants 10 take all the islands
,outh of the Solomon group now
neld by the United States, and
his is for two very definite rea-
sons.
II they can seize and occupy
New Hebrides. New Caledonia,
Fiji and Samoa, they surround
northeastern Australia with an
,ther group of islands from which
heir land-based planes can oper-
ate during an attempted invasion
IF the down under" continent.
OF equal Importance. this
tou ,hern group OF islands in Jap
hnese hands would cut our sup
ply lines from Hawaii 10 Austria
la and the middle east via the
indian Ocean.
AWARE OF THREAT
General Macarthur is aware OF
The danger he is facing at all
times in regard to these Jap
anese threats.
He knows that across the en-
tire stretch OF waters 10 the
north of Australia, and in the
Dutch East Indies. the japanese
nave their land-based planes, but
he is a fighting general and lives
IN the spirit that The best (ol
pnly) defense is offense
No one in the United State!
ran be certain as TO what The
japanese activities IN the eastern
lip Of New Guinea mean, but IT.
surety that they are coupled
with the battle now going on Il
the Solomon Islands.
We have seen General MacAr
thurs continuous contact with tn
Japanese troops on New Guinea
We know he has land forces Of
this island that have kept il
touch with all japanese move
ments.
PATTERN CLARIFIED
The vast worldwide war pat
tern becomes clearer and clearer
The cornerstone OF the FaScis
fighting is the Middle East. Thi
area must be held. II it were los
II would probably mean that Hi
Ter would control the continent
Of Europe. Africa and Asia.
The British Isles are the ir
vasion base for the United NJ
lions TO recapture Europe an
here is the safest and best pre-
ared Of our war fronts
Australia Is the jumping-o
nee from which 10 retake Oh
Itch East Indies. the Malaga
'rinsula, Burn a. 1ndo-Chir
ailand and the Philippine
erefore. al all costs Australl
81 be held. and this is beir
- in a manner that warran
criticism.
HOLD AT ALL COSTS