Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1942-11-01

seem rather minor Set-backS.
Uncertainty still clouds the situation
IN the Solomons where American marines
and soldiers have kept their tenuouS
hold on the Guadalcanal airfield In the
face OF repeated Japanese thrusts-per-
haps from several directions.
News from the South Pacific is, at
the best. days late. On Friday Secretary
Knox announced that units of the Japa-
nese fleet in the Solomons, supposedly
In connection with landing operations,
had been withdrawn and that Americans
had not lost any of the ground originally
held. Troops and supplies still are being
landed on Guadalcanal
Still he warned against undue opti-
mism. Only the first phase of the battle
is over, he said, and
Worms Against nobody can guess what
Optimism moves the enemy con-
templates.
The latest news before Secretary
Knox's statement was last Monday to
the effect that the defenders of the air
field had thrown back three recent Japa-
nese attacks, but in one of these the
enemy had pierced their lines The lost
ground was regained, according to the
eommunique, but the news was de-
pressing in that it indicated the foe has
remained on the offensive despite what
ever American ,reinforcements it may
have been possible to land on Guadal-
canal.
officials here in closest connection
with the fighting agree in describing it
as quite serious. But Guadalcanal. they
stress, is only the focal point of far
more extended action in which planes
and ships over thousands of square miles
are playing major role. During the
week, it was reported, Navy planes at
tackled japanese warships 400 miles
northeast of the disputed island-almost
within reach of enemy air forces based
on inundated islands. The final victory
will depend on air and sea triumphs to
an even greater extent than on the land
battles.
The Army contributed to this when
bombers from New Guinea blasted the
Japanese naval base of Bruin, on the
southern tip of Bougainville, largest Of
the Solomons, which is entirely in the
hands of the enemy. At least four ships
were seriously damaged. Late last week
IT enemy craft were sunk or damaged
in bomber attacks on the japanese feed
er base at Ranaul on New Britain Island.
Most depressing American loss re-
ported this week was that of the air
craft carrier Wasp, sunk on September
IS in the South Pacific
Loss Of Wasp by Japanese subma-
DEPRESSING rine attack. 1t had
been operating with q
task force covering the movement of re-
endorsements and supplies to Guadal-
canal, where a japanese offensive al
ready was creeping down from the north.
The last that had been heard of the
Wasp was last winter when it was oper-
ating in the Mediterranean and played
conspicuous part in the defense OF
hard-pressed Malta. The full force of
the Luftwaffe from nearby Sicily was
concentrated on the little British island
which at that time was the key to Egypt.
Planes flown from the American car
rier,s deck enabled the Malta garrison to
hold the position and did much to make
possible the present Allied offensive in
North Africa.
At least once during the Mediterranean
operations the ship was reported lost.
When she finally went down the greater
part Of the crew were saved.
The Russian winter is at hand.
Billiards sweep the Western Caucasus.
Already, 1t is reported, hundreds OF Ger
man soldiers have been frozen to death.
The snow and bitter cold came earlier
than expected this year. The Axis finds
itself not only condemned to the horrors
of another winter in a bleak, scorched
land, but with even its minimum OBJ
tectives of the summer unreallzed. Prog
ress in the Caucasus above the Black
Sea has been slowed down. When the
major emphasis was shifted from the
capture Of Stalingrad a few weeks ago
supposedly it was in order to concen-
trate on this southern campaign and
finish it before the mountain roads be-
came impossible.
Stalingrad still holds out. The fight
ing is block by block, alley by alley
Every step the German positions advance
is at almost unbelievable cost. On
Thursday, for example, they pushed for
ward between so and 100 yards in North
Stalingrad. The gain cost them 1900
men and II tanks. Even at that. the
force of the attack seemed diminishing
The last previous advance reported had
been about 200 yards. And there is al
most certainly relief army advancing
slowly from the northwest. It's progress
is laborious, but it already has defeated
one Rumanian army which tried to block
the road
It will be grim for the Germans II
winter catches them still not in posses
sion of the ruined city
Germons Fear They know that the
Red Attack Russians intend to take
full advantage of the
cold and storms. It is reported in Berlin
that the unbeaten foe is massing pow
erful shock armies" to break through
the German line about 275 miles west
of Moscow. These troops will have full
air and tank support. Germans are
trying to forestall the offensive by heav,
bombardment of troop concentration
centers and of the railroads leading ou
of Moscow.