Evening star., 1942-05-09

treacherous at David Lawrence.
tack on Pearl Harbor and on the
Philippines. During that time. the
United States has had to prepare
for counterattack while losing pos
session of valuable bases in the
Philippines and in Wake Island and
Guam. The substitute bases among
the small islands near Australia and
New Zealand had to be built with the
proper protection for air offensives
and simultaneously the supply lines
had to be protected by the American
Navy, because the British and Dutch
forces available were not large
enough to do the job.
For months the censorship has
rightly withheld information as to
the movements of or preparations
by the American fleet. Only by piec-
ing together scanty dispatches and
offcial communiques could it be
learned that the Navy not only was
protecting the supply lines in gen.
eral. but that it also was moving
IN closer toward the Japanese navy.
The RAIDS in the Gilbert and Mar
shall Islands were indicative OF sub
sequent action on a larger scale.
Tipoff Came Sunday.
It takes months to reach the
southwest Pacific with fuel and sup
plies. It takes time to arrange for
repairs for damaged ships and for
the necessary handling of land
based airplanes as we'll as those from
aircraft carriers. The United States
has Australia. New Zealand, New
Caledonia and other bases in the
southwest Pacific. The Navy finally
has been given the signal to 60
ahead.
That the seeking out Of the en-
emy was deliberate may be inferred
from the fact that as early as last
Sunday word Of an impending naval
engagement was allowed to come
through the censorship here. Evil
IDENTIFY the Navy has planned we'll
and with due deliberation the steps
necessary to force the Japanese
navy back toward the north.
The Japanese navy, on its part, has
known full well the importance Of
breaking through the American cor
don OF warships In the vicinity Of
the Solomon Islands. The Ameri-
can line had to be broken, the Japa-
nese doubtless reasoned. or there
would be serious interruptions
through series of raids behind the
Japanese lines Of communications,
which extend from Japan to Singa-
pore and New Guinea.
Unquestionably the japanese can
not afford to lose ships, especially
aircraft carriers, but, in accordance
with naval tradition, they know that
they must give battle or else be
driven into hiding. which is some
thing that cannot be resorted to BY
a fleet that has such big lines tc
protect
The United States Navy's losses
are not known at this writing, but
the history Of this war some DAY
will reveal that the japanese can
not AFFORD to lose ships even on ar
equality basis. In war OF attri.
ton, it is the capacity to replace
the lost ships that count. TIL.
American Navy can afford to LOST
much more because our replacement
capacity is much larger. Hence thu
tendency will be to take the neces.
sary risks without thought Of tn.
replacement problem.
Shows Vast Preparation.
The American Navy received
body blow at Pearl Harbor, but it
only mistake was its lack of sus
picion concerning Japanese treach
cry. Once war was declared tn,
Navy began to mobilize It's power
The distances are large and thu
problems Of supply are stupendous
but that the American Navy
ready in May, 1912, to take on tn
japanese fleet in its own waters il
the Southwest Pacific-nearly 1000
miles away from the mainland O
Americas indicative of the vas
amount of preparation and plannin,
that must have been carried ol
during the last five months.
The country is thrilled to lear
OF the exploits of the Navy an,
confidence in the naval arm vii
rise as the news of aggressive &C
ton comes in this summer. Nava
engagements cannot occur every da
or week, but the best news of tn
war is that the American Navy
ready for large-scale action in tn
Southwest Pacific, which must mea
that the imaginary line of ou
sphere of influence in that ocea
will be gradually moving closer an
closer toward the Carolina Island
Thus has come the beginning Of tn
naval war Of attrition which mus
be fought in order to break throug
the enormous area Of japanese or
erations.
Reproduction Rights ReservedJ