The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1942-03-21
. New York
Listening Post
Monnec bv
ALBERT n. LYMAN
Industrial Gouee
Effort Nsusesies
Solomon Islands
Were Once Germsn
Lessons Of Naval
Disaster Unheeded
ALBERT n. LYMAN

plantations have formed = COM
rnittee - almost before the
snoldering ruins Of Singapore
have cooled-to see what com
pensstion for their captured
properties they can wiring from
the eXechequer. Even Tories
In Parliament are furious az this
attempted gouge. For years
white sahibs made enormous
profits from coohe labor but
they were too greedy TO spend
proper sums for defense al
though they knew Japan covet-
ed their treasure lands. Now
reports from both British and
Dutch colonial sources hint that
London and Washington let
them down"
A consensus Of opinion among
many leaders in this city is that
We have muffed things badly.
This il production and a
military conflict yet we are
fighting il like a political cam
psign in which a sop is thrown
10 this pressure group and that
sectional interest. The United
States scattered and squandered
their forces and sacrificed two
hundred thousand soldiers, vast
materials, and numerous planes
and ships trying TO hold Hong
Kong. Borneo, the Straits Set
tlement. Sumatra, Java, Celebes,
and other islands. II concen-
trated this array Of military
power could have stopped the
Japs. But we tried to help
everyone everywhere at once
and so We lost all.
We did not go to war to save
Far Eastern godowns and grass
huts. We fight becsuse-after
fumbling diplomacy outdistanced
tardy preparations 49, Tokyo
struck and Berlin and Rome
eanged up on US. These New
Workers feel that we. should
learn our lesson, quit trying 10
defend every Pacific trading post
and hereafter bunch our shots
where they will hurt the enemy
most.
Proud Germans with good
memories will not he over
pleased TO watch the Japs cap
ture the solomons because the
islands once belonged to the
Kaiser. Under Nipponese con-
troll the oeean-girt jungles would
flank the Antipo and
threaten our Samoan convoy
route. The widest savages in
the South seas live here. Black
birding for Kanakas by I'M
scrupulous white traders has
only ceased within the past
twenty-five years.
Many Of the natives are still
cannibsls although the mission
aries in the coastal stretches
have stamped out long pig
hsnauets.. The region was named
hv q Mexican explorer who be-
heved he had discovered the lost
mines Of King Solomon. He
found no gold although some Of
the precious metal has since
been dug.
Not far away and very much
IN the war news-is Thursday
Island al the head Of the Great
Barrier Reef from which the
Chinese collect edible birds
nests for their famous soup. SO
dangerous are the surrounding
waters that a special organiza-
ton called the Torres Strait
Pilots earn tremendous fees dl-
recting ships from Cape YORK
10 Sydney. No modern carts
have been made. European ana
Australian vessels still use those
bases on Flinders directions
published more than one hum
drsd and fifty years ago. Inc
first ocean liner ever TO care
the passage without a speeisl
local guide sailed through in
1889. She was japanese; her
skipper had his own map drawn
by Nipponese pearl fishermen
who had sounded every oePth
and shallow. Tojo's navy no"
has plenty Of duplicate instrue-
tons
Statesmen. commentators. ana
wide groups Of the public "hich
have been demanding offensive
tactics against Japan have been
blinking their eyes al the reports
on our naval disaster of Java
the first sea fight We have
lost since the Civil War. Inc
Dutch. British. Australian ana
United states vessels charged u
n. superior japanese armada
Ike courageous hounds sgaihs'
pack Of wolves Most of our
crafts were completely destroy
g.. Retired naval officers in
View York. whose battle careers
run from Dewey 10 Sims, ae-
clare that this ghssly demon
ktrstion illustrates the folly o.
scattering our power over INC
face Of the glooe.
Younger gold-stripers' imD1so
with a belief in the Importance
Of aviation. insist the engage
nent also proves again what nc
Prince Of Wales and Kepnlse
catastrophe should have taught
without an umbrella q p.aiiss
= stout ship and a brave eLsN ~
1850 IRE whole affair