Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-09-11
The New Pacific Trend

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is again emphasized by the roper
cussions of Italy's surrender upon
the Far East and the Pacific. Prime
Minister Curtin of Australia. in an
exultant broadcast over the Mel
bourne radio. informed his fellow
citizens that the elimination of Italy
"foreshadows the inevitable defeat
of Japan" In similar vein, Doctor
Herbert Evatt, the Australian For
eign Minister. stated: "The Axis has
been broken forever. and for ia
pan it spells ultimate and certain
DOOM"
A moments glance at the overall
strategic picture will reveal some of
the reasons for those optimistic
Australian forecasts. Even before
Italy's collapse, the trend of the war
in the entire Pacific. from the Aleu-
tians to the eSolomons and New
Guinea, had been obviously turning
against Japan. The voluntary aban-
comments of Kiska and Bairoku by
their Japanese garrisons were re-
vealing confessions of weakness on
the periphery OF their war-won en-
pire. No longer is the Japanese high
command able to leave isolated de-
tachments as suicide squads for
reasons Of strategy or prestige. The
technique of Allied attack is bril-
liantly exemplified in the current
operations against the -Salamaua
region in New Guinea, where some
10000 to 10000 japanese have been
surrounded by combination of ma
val, air and paratroop tactics work.
ing in perfect coordination. The
tempo of the Allied advance, so slow
a year ago when initiated at Guadal-
canal, has been stepped up and in
tensif1ed at an amazing ratio. 1t Is
not too much to hope that the
pincers operation based on New
Guinea and the Solomons will soon
begin closing directly on Rabaul,
Japan's main base in the South Pa
cific.
Equally revealing of Japan's
waning strength is the recent raid
on Marcus Island This fortified
dot lies inside the outer ring of ia
pans island bases. between them and
Japan itself. Previous raids were
hit-and-run affairs by small Ameri-
can task forces. This time, Marcus
Island was pounded for nine hours
by a powerful combined naval and
air expedition capable of standing
off attacks, perhaps even challeng-
ing such action. Yet no opposition
except local antiaircraft fire was en-
countered.
Possibly one of the reasons why
Japan is showing such indisposition
to slug it out in the Pacific is pre-
occupation with the outlook in the
Indian Ocean. Less than two months
from now, the monsoon season will
be at an end. Then, the way will be
dramatically open for Lord Mount
batten to launch a great Sea-borne
attack from India upon Burma or
Malaya. The elimination of the
Italian fleet should logically make
possible the diversion of much Brit
ish and American naval and mer-
chant shipping from the Mediter-
ranean for such an enterprise. For
the first time, Japan will be exposed
to a real challenge from that quar-
ter, just at the moment when our
own naval construction program has
vastly increased the strength of our
Pacific fleet, especially in aircraft
carriers.
All this indicates that Japan, like
Germany, is losing the initiative and
is not only compelled to shift to
generally defensive policy but is also
forced to husband its strength and
apportion 1t judiciously between
several fronts. OF course, Japan is
not yet reduced to the narrow straits
of its German ally. 1t still possesses
relatively greater freedom Of action
within its defensive strategic pat
tern. But in both cases the basic
trend Is the same. For Toxic, as for
Berlin, the day Of namboyant con-
quest Is over.