Evening star., 1942-03-17

This delay was authorized by ths
President.
There is nothing to report from
other areas"
| Shift Had Been Demanded.
Only last night the War Depart
ment announced that Americans
both air and ground troops, I'm con-
siderable force" had arrived in Aus.
tralia. This communique followed
by a number of days a press dis.
patch from British correspondent
to a London paper to the effect thai
| large American conveys were max
ing their way through the South
| Pacific.
There had been other indications
in guarded announcements from
British sources, that the United Ma
tions planned to make Australia a
base Of operations for an offensive
against the japanese invaders.
The startling announcement that
Gen. Macarthur had reached Aus
tralia followed widespread sugges-
tions and demands, in and out of
Congress, that the intrepid general
be taken away from his perilous
perch on the Bataan Peninsula and
given greater responsibility.
Gen. MacArthur's defense of lower
Bataan Peninsula and the forts of
Manila Bay amazed the world. With
a small force of Americans and
Filipinos generally understood to be
outnumbered about four to one by
the Japanese, his gallant troops have
withStood every enemy attack for
three months and have launched
repeated devastating counterattacks.
Wavell Moved March 2.
Gen. MacArthur's predecessor as
supreme commander in the South
west Pacific was British Gen. Sir
Archibald Wavell, whose reassign-
ment to command in India was an
nounced March 2.
At that time, no mention was
made off1cially of the possibility that
Gen Macarthur would succeed him,
although Australian sources had
suggested the American general
from time to time
Gen. Wavell's reassignment to
India was explained as a result of
the loss Of Malaga and the Japanese
invasion OF Sumatra, separating
Burma from the Netherlands Indies.
The transfer of all land, sea and air
forces in the Netherlands Indies to
the command of the Dutch was an
nounced, but no reference was made
to a supreme United Nations COM
mand in the Southwest Pacific area
1t now develops that Gen. Mac
Arthur already had been ordered to
Australia, but today's announcement
made no reference to India or Bur-
ma, and there was no immediate
indication whether Gen. MacAr-
thurs command extended to them
Gen. Macarthur has commanded
the Philippine Army since 1885, when
he completed tour of duty as chief
OF staff of the War Department.
Assigned to Manila as military
adviser to the Philippine Common
wealth government. he undertook
Philippine Army.
Inflicted Heavy Losses.
Despite the fact that mobilization
of the Philippine Army was never
completed, Gen. MacArthur's prin-
cipal forces were able to delay the
invading japanese drives to permit
withdrawal from Manila, which was
declared an open city and was not
defended, toward Bataan Peninsula,
on the western side of Manila Bay.
In the early fighting, air forces
under Gen. MacArthur's command
inflicted heavy losses on Japanese
invasion fleets, including the sink
ing of the battleship Haruna of
Northern Luzon.
The Japanese, however, obtained
air superiority almost Immediately
and the heavy bombers of Gen
MacArthur's forces were withdrawn
to the Netherlands Indies after en-
emy bombing had destroyed the
usefulness of their bases. Gen.
Macarthur still retained, however,
an unspecifled number OF pursuit
planes, which he fitted out tempo
rarily as bombers for destructive
raids against Japanese installations
in the Philippine Islands.
To date the Japanese have ex-
tended their control in the Philip
pines only over the major portion OF
Luzon, the Island Of Masbate and a