Evening star., 1943-09-22

/
be hit hard at key holdings instead
Of rolled back slowly and at great
cost from island to island.
Gen. MacArthur's statement
was scanned with interest in
! Washington, but there was no
comment from White House or
War Department sources.)
Swiftly Exploiting Victories.
The statement was issued while
Gen. MacArthur's jungle troops on
New Guinea were exploiting swiftly
their victories at Lac and Salamaua
and while heavy air blows were
being struck ahead of newly-won
islands in the Solomons. Gen. Mac
Arthur has been directing the New
Guinea operations from the fielo
and, since the new offensive opened
June 30, he has had overall COM
mand of the operations personally
directed by Admiral William F. Hal
sey in the South Pacific.
MY strategic conception for the
Pacific theater which I outlined
after the Papuan campaign and
have since consistently advocated,
contemplates massive strokes against
only main strategic objectives, util-
izing surprise and air and ground
striking power. supported and assist
ed by the fleet" the statement said.
This is the very opposite of what
is termed island hopping, which is
gradually pushing back the enemy
by direct frontal pressure with con-
seQuent heavy casualties which will
certainly be involved.
Key points must, of course, be
taken but wise choice of such will
obviate the need for storming the
mass of islands now in enemy pos
session.
Opposes Island Hopping
Island hopping, with extravaga
losses and slow progress-some press
reports indicating victory might be
postponed as long as 1949-is not my
idea of how to end the war as soon
and as cheaply as possible.
New conditions require a new
solution and new weapons require
a maximum application of new and
imaginative methods. Wars are
never won in the past"
The Macarthur pattern was set
recently at Lac. After fooling the
Japanese garrison there into rein
forcing Salamaua. l8 miles to the
southeast, by pretending the main
| blow would be struck there. he
landed forces under guns of Amer
lean WarShips above Lac September
4 and the next day looked on from
FLYING Fortress while an air
armada landed paratrOop forces be-
hind Lac. The japanese were so
surprised they offered almost negl-
glble' opposition and Lac fell Sep
tember l6
Island-by island movement marked
progress from Guadalcanal up
through New Georgia in the Solo
mons after which the procedure was
varied by the surprise occupation of
Vella Lavella, y-passing Japanese
held Kolombangara.
FavOrS Australian Base.
In press conferences Gen Mac
Arthur has expressed belief that
Australia is more suitable than
either Hawaii or the Aleutians for
an offensive against Japan and that
once New Guinea has been cleared
OF the enemy, the natural thing
would be to aim for the Philippines
by-passing japanese holdings in the
Netherlands Indies.
1T makes little difference whether
I or others WELD the weapon, Just so
the cause for which our beloved
country fights is Victorious his
statement read.
However subordinate may be MY
role, ! hope to play it manfully."
Lord Mountbattens appointment
was announced August IS after he
had attended the Quebec Confer
ence On August 26 he went to
Washington to confer with Admiral
Ernest J. King The same day it
was learned he would confer in
Chungking with Gen. Chiang Kai-
shek before starting the Burma
campaign against Japan He re-
turned to London September /