Evening star., 1942-03-22

zen. DOUGLAS MACARTHUR ar
" rived in Australia only four days
before spring arrived in the Northern
Hemisphere. The generals and the sea-
sons advents have the deepest meaning
for the future course Of the war. Gen.
Macarthur in Australia has filled the
Allies with the greatest wave Of hope eX-
perienced since the wars beginning.
Spring, too, may be the harbinger Of
better days for the Allies in Asia and in
Europe.
Macarthur, the hero Of Bataan, the
one popular military idol the war has
produced, will be as impotent as
wooden soldier if we do not furnish him
with the guns, the planes and the ships
necessary for rolling the Japs back to
Japan and then steamrolling them on
their own island. But the United Ma
tions are confident Gen. Macarthur will
be able to use the materials Of war to
better advantage than any other gen.
eral
Purpose Tersely Stated.
Gen. Macarthur in Australia Is the
definitive sign that the japanese, by the
conquest of the Indies, have reached the
end of the initial phase of their ad-
vance In the first place, Gen. MacAr-
thurs new command means the Allies
are determined, as they have not been
determined before, to keep the japanese
from moving further south. In the Sec
ond place and far more important, 1t
means the Allies are organizing in the
South Pacific to take the offensive
against Japan.
1.-The President ordered me to break
through the Japanese lines and proceed
from Corregidor to Australia for the
purpose, as I understand it, of organiz-
ing an American offensive against ia
pan," Gen. Macarthur said in his first
public statement in Australia. 1t made
clear his purpose-an offensive purpose.
Gen. Macarthur added that "a primary
purpose is the relief of the Philippines.
The men of Bataan will see their leader
again. What Gen. Macarthur said was
consistent with President Roosevelts as
surance in December that the Philip
pines would be redeemed"
An outstanding fact about Gen. Mac
Arthur is that his personal prestige is
SO great that in his role OF military or
ganizer and leader he will be able to
dominate future decisions by the politi-
cal overseers of the United Nations war
in, pocific Gpp
Sir Archibald Wavell, the British COM
mender, more than once has been the
victim of political decisions which seemed
to impair his work. Gen. Macarthur is
not likely to suffer that fate.
Base for Offensive.
That the position OF Australia strate-
gically is one of base of offense-
which in time might be co-ordinated
with q Chinese offensive-is emphasized
by the sweeping authority given Gen.
Macarthur. He commands land, sea
and air forces in the Southwest Pacific.
In an Allied offense retracing the route
of advance made by the Japanese, naval
and air operations would be as vital for
the Allies as they were for the Japs.
The defense of Australia is the de-
fense Of great distances and large
deserts. The airline route mileage from
Sydney to Singapore via Port Darwin is
1869. The sea trip from Yokohama to
Seattle across the Pacific is 4,225 miles.
Adelaide on the southern side of Aus
tralia is separated from northern Port
Darwin by 2316 miles. From Sydney on
the west to Perth on the east is 1900
miles.
The Japanese attack on Australia is
expected to be centered in frontal at
tack on the coast of North Queensland,
the most accessible region Tor the Japa-
nese forces which have been arriving in
New Guinea. For more than decade,
japanese sampan fleets have been active
in waters of Northern Australia. osten-
sibly seeking trepang and pearl shell.
But the Au'traiap government reports