Evening star., 1942-03-09
Malaga Conqueror Heads Jops
Opposing Macarthur in Luzon;
Foe BoIsters New Guinea Hold
More Reinforcements
Landed on Island,
Nozi Radio Says

BY the Associated Press.
MELBOURNE, Australia. March
9. - Strong Japanese landing
forces were engaged today in
consolidating two foothol S
which they won on the northeast
coast of New Guinea yesterday
in lightning thrusts covered by
the big guns of WarShips.
The landlngs-at Salamaua and
Lac, the capital of New Guinea
forged another link in the chain
of potential invasion bases threaten
ing Australia. and the Common
wealth Cabinet was summoned
hastily to an emergency session to
decide on measures to meet the
new danger.
The japanese landed new re-
Inducements today on New
Guinea under the protection OF
heavy bombing attacks and naval
artillery, the German radio saidD
Moresby Attacked by Planes.
New defense regulations gave
the Commonwealth military au-
thorities power to carry out COM
plete destruction of roads, railroads,
canals, waterworks. airdromes. docks
and Wharves wherever necessary for
Australias defense.
Ten heavy Japanese bombers at
tackled Port MoreSby. only $50 miles
and an hours flying time from
Salamaua, the Australian Air Minis
trv announced at Canberra. Port
Moresby is only 300 miles from the
Australian mainland. Four bombs
caused some damage, but there
were no casualties.
Reports from Sydney said 400
men and 1920 women and children
reached safety in Australia from
New Guinea; all OF the men were
elderly or unfit for military service,
About Assault on Moresby Seen.
The Sydney Morning Herald pre-
viouslv predicted that the new move
of the Japanese would be an all-out
air assault on Port Moresby. Port
Moresby already has been bombed
several times from outlying Japa-
nese bases.
An Air Ministry communique an
nouncing the landings said Aus
tralian warplanes had struck back
at the invasion armada before the
Japanese had completed their op-
erations and had scored direct hits
on ships.
Salamaua. where the first landing
was effected early yesterday morn
ing. is about 400 miles airline north
east of Cape York, Australia. Lac
is about 35 miles north Of Salamaua.
The japanese earlier had won
footholds on the haf-Dutch, half
Portuguese island OF Timor. which
is west OF New Guinea and about
400 miles from Port Darwin. Aus
tralia. They also have bases on
New Britain Island. roughly 200
miles east of Salamaua.
Overland Advance Difficult.
Observers expressed belief that the
Japanese would find the going diff
cult if they tried to advance over
land from Salamaua to Port Mores-
by, for they would have to cross a
5.000-foot range of mountains and
trick troDjcal vegetation
They declared. however, that
Salamaua was of great strategic i'm
portance to the japanese. for they
now have command of the narrow
strait between New Guinea and New
Britain-the natural gateway for a
sea borne assault on the Australian
east coast
Unofficial advices said both Sala-
maua and Lac had been abandoned
by Australian ground forces before
the Japanese landed and that all
important installations there had
been destroyed in pursuance of a
scorched earth policy.
Landings Begun Yesterday.
The landing operations at Sala-
maua were begun early yesterday
morning, the Air Ministry said,
under cover of force of cruisers
and destroyers.
The size of the force at Salamaua
Is unknown, but clearly there were
considerable landings" its COM
munioue declared.
Another invasion feet was re-
ported to have appeared off Lac
about 9 am. and to have shelled the
town before putting troops ashore.
1t also was air bombed.
Australian planes which attacked
the naval force at Salamaua-said
to have included at least four
cruisers-were met by intense anti
aircraft fire and japanese planes
also rose to intercept them. but all
returned safely to base, the Air Min
istry said.
Officia, Australian circles made
no secret of the fact that they re-
garded the Japanese thrust at New
Guinea as preliminary to an at
tempt to invade Australia itself.