The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-01-29
Gen. MacArthur's Men
Hurl Back Japanese
Continued from Page -

admitted that possibly 100000 men
and IS or more japanese ships have
escaped the Allied blows thus far
But the action has not yet ended.
Whatever the final score it was
evident that Japan had suffered the
sharpest setback Of the war-a set
back which should give priceless
time advantage to the United Ma
tons forces holding the vital Dutch
East ies-Australiania line.
It affords additional time for the
arrival in the war theater Of the
stream of material and men"
which Secretary of Navy Frank
Knox said is now moving to the
hard pressed fronts in the south
Pacific"
The size of those reinforcements
is a military secret. But the acti-
walton of plans laid by President
Roosevelt and Prime Minister Win
ston Churchill for forceful blows
against the Axis around the world,
and particularly in the Pacific, was
emphasized by White House con-
ference of top American and British
strategists.
The conference, attended by the
American army, air and naval high
command and top British military
representatives, was the first since
Churchill returned to Britain.
Vast Pool of Arms
Legislative action to provide a
vast pool of arms, planes and war
ships to back up the strategic de-
cisions was proceeding apace. Nov
ing at quick-time, Congress COM
pleted and sent to the White House
for the Presidents signature, the
record-breaking $12,500, 100000 ap-
preparation bill to build $4,000 air.
craft. And the Senate Appropria-
tons subcommittee was prepared
today to take up the $19,977, 900, 900
navy appropriations bill.
In the Philippines, Macarthur
| and his men still resisting
staunchly after weeks of constant,
unrelieved front line action -
braced themselves for a renewal of
Japanese assaults.
For three days there has been
comparative calm on the narrow
Bataan peninsula front after Mac
Arthur's brilliant and successful
counter-attacks broke up the latest
Japanese attempts to overrun his
| positions.
The Japanese are known to have
landed additional reinforcemenus
on Subic bay, just north of Mac
Arthur's lines, to back up the 14th
Japanese army which already is be-
lieved to outnumber Macarthur by
better than 10 to l..
Japs Battered Badly
London, Jan. 29.-(UP)-A mill
tary commentator said today that
American and Netherlands warShips
and airplanes had battered Japa-
nese invasion fleet in the Macassa1
Strait so badly that it was unlikely
to achieve whatever objective the
Japanese high command had as
signed it.
The commentator said there had
been no important changes in the
general Far Eastern situation.
He added that the Japanese hac
suffered $50 casualties in fight or
the Malayan east coast Tuesday.
A Daily Mail special correspond
ent, telephoning from Batavia, sale
that the battle o. the Macassar Strait
was now emerging as the greatest
sea action since the Battle of Jut-
land in the last war when the Ger.
man grand fleet made its last vair
attempt to break into the Atlantic
1.-THE battle is still raging today
in its sixth day-and no matter
how many ships the Japanese lost
it will not be won until the enti1
enemy invasion armada has beer
wiped out or the survivors have beer
forced to turn back" he said.
The correspondent asserted thai
the fleet, estimated to number Ion
warships, transports and supply
ships, was still intent on full scale
invasion of Java, headquarters O.
Gen. Sir Archibald Wavell, unitee
nations commander.
Calls for Surrender
London, Jan. 29.-(UP)-The Der.
lin radio broadcast a German Off
cial news agency dispatch from To
kyo today that the Japanese com
mander-in-chief in the Philippine
had called upon American forces II
Correg:dor fortress by radio to sur
render.
Corregidor, at the mouth of Ma
Mia Bay, makes the naval base ans
harbor useless to the Japanese Al
long as Americans hold it. Some OBJ
servers had said that Corregidor ma!
be able to hold out year. Japanes'
air attacks against 1t thus far hav,
not been particularly successful.
UNITY OF COMMAND
! Washington, Jan. 29-(UP)-Sec.
rotary of War Henry L. Stinlson sais
today that unity Of command al
: ready has been established amont
5 some of our important task force
comprising army, navy and ali
, units.
Stimson made the assertion at {
press conference in response II
questions concerning what the arm!
. has been doing to coordinate com
, mands Of important areas. Lack o
. such coordination was emphasized
) in the Roberts report on Pearl Har.