Evening star., 1942-10-05
Expects Breaking
Of Pocific StoIemute
Military Critic Anticipates
Attack on Kisko Shortly;
New Moves in SoIomons Also
By Maj. George Fielding Eliot.

By Maj. George Fielding, Eliot.
Viewing the Pacific theater Of war as
q whole, 1t is impossible not to feel that
1t presents pleasanter vista from Wash
ington than from Toxic. In. the Aleu-
tians American forces appear to be firmly
established in the Andreanof Islands, the
westernmost Of which are within COM
Portable fighter radius of Kiska. The
establishment Of fighter bases within
striking distance has invariably, in this
Pacific war, been q prelude to attack
upon positions defended by land biased
aircraft; except when geographic condi-
tions require the use Of CARRIER biased
fighter support, as in the Japanese at
tack on Midway, which failed, and our
own attack on the Solomons, which sue
ceeded very largely because complete
surprise was attained.
The Japanese will hardly be surprised
at Kiska. They must know by now that
we are In the Andreanofs; indeed, the re-
lease of the news on this operation,
which took place in late August, sug-
gests that we may be about to launch
our main attack on Kiska. The deter
mination with which the Japanese de-
fend Kiska and Attu may well be an
indication of their intentions regarding
the Russian Far Eastern provinces; If
they have now abandoned their earlier
intentions to attack Siberia, they will
have less reason to make sacrifices to
hold Kiska and Attu than otherwise,
But the Aleutian sector is only part
Of the campaign in the Pacific. It is
directly connected with what is going on
in New Guinea and the Solomons.
Our original advance into the Sol
onions was the first step in an offensive
campaign whose purpose, as previously
stated In these articles, could only have
been, and must still remain, the expul-
sion Of the japanese from the whole New
Guinea area, including the Bismarck
and Admiralty Islands. Once this is ac-
complished, our strategic position in the
Pacific will 'be enormously improved.
The Japanese have fought hard to hang
on to the SolomonS, and have never
ceased their pressure against our marine
forces there. Their attempt to seize
the airdrome at Milne Bay was part of
their hold on the whole eastern part
of New Guinea; the advance across the
Owen Stanley Mountains toward Port
Moresby was another part of the same
general design.
But the Milne Bay attempt ended in a
minor Japanese disaster; the advance to-
ward Port Moresby has been checked and
pushed back almost to the mountain pass
and in the Solomons our marines are at
least holding the positions they have
won. It is obvious, considering these
facts, that neither the Japanese nor the
United Nations have been able, in the
Southwestern Pacific, to build up an Of
fensive superiority capable of decisive re-
suits as yet. The situation, however, is
not likely to degenerate into q long
drawn-out stalemate. Much will depend
on skill, surprise, leadership, on the quail
ity of individuals and of equipment.
Both sides have shown their ability to
fight and their willingness to take risks.
One or the other will advance again be-
fore long.
The indications are that it will be our
side. Saturday, for example, Gen. Mac
Arthur's headquarters reported an at
tack by torpedo planes on Japanese
shipping, with probable hits on three
light cruisers and two merchant vessels.
The torpedo plane is traditionany naval
weapon, and has in our service been
carrier-borne exclusively If Macarthur
now has torpedo planes, either they are
land-based-a new departure, and one
marking the assembling of specially
equipped forces for offensive action-or
else the small naval force which is under
MacArthur's direction has been REIN
forced by an accretion so important as
to include a carrier. The persistent air
attacks on the Japanese bases in the
western Solomons also seem to suggest a
coming offensive; very likely If the
American and Australian forces in New
Guinea can push the Japanese back to
the north of the mountains and begin to
threaten Kokoda, this may be suitable
moment for an advance by our forces in
the Solomons toward Bougainville and
Santa Ysabel. This advance would be
facilitated by the injuries inflicted on
the Japanese fleet by our aircraft.
The Japanese, menaced at their out