Evening star., 1943-04-16
Editorial on Defense Of Australia
Stirs Energetic Comment by Reader.

StHS CHeTSctlC Comment Dy
To the Editor Of The Star:
Being employed by the American Red
Gross as field director in New Guinea
where I served seven months, it is per-
haps Ill advised for me to comment on
your recent sensible editorial regarding
the situation in the Southwest Pacific.
However, having been away from home
and in that area some Is months, cam
not avoid forming opinions which are
mine and not those of the American Red
Cross.
1t is high time that Americans wake up
to the situation down under" give up
the idea that by the victory in the Bis
marck Sea we have rocked the Jap back
on his heels and face the fact that, like
1t or not, the war in which the United
States is going to be asked to make real
sacrifices lies not in the east but in the
west.
When will we realize the true threat of
the Jap? His tenacity dwarfs that of the
German, who bears some resemblance to
civilized man. The Jap walks upright
there the likeness ends.
OF course, Gen. Blamey knows what he
is talking about. And he isn't trying to
prop the morale of this country. He
deals in facts, as a man must who ap-
peals for help when the enemy-and such
an enemy-is on his door mat,
I do not mean to detract from the
effort we are so splendidly making in
Africa. I do want to point out that each
day we let the Jap rest in his new-won
territories will mean weeks of bitter
him. I have been In Buna and Milne
Bay. I wish the American people could
have some small idea of the things I
have seen and the things know When
the Jap withdrew from Guadalcanal he
covered face" by saying that he had
accomplished what was required by his
stand there. Most people laughed but,
in pubs In Australia, talking to men of
the A1F and the RAAF, I heard it said
many times, THAT may be and, no doubt
is, the truth of the thing"
If there has ever been truly forgot
WA AAANAA AAA ASSCAAV <Al11CI ",
that man Is Douglas Macarthur He has
asked, through Gen. Kenny, for 7 per
cent OF the plane production. He has
asked that some of the idle equipment
here be turned over to him. Will he get
1t for those men of his, of whom we can
say as truly as Britain ever had reason to
say of the RAF, never have SO manv
owed so much to so few? Poor bows.
sitting there after each engagement, say
ing, Damn it, If only" Poor kids!
You speak Of the theory which has it
that the Japs are short on shipping. I
can tell you that they could send convoys
like that lost at Bismarck Sea for weeks
on end without drawing on shipping north
OF Truk. Pictures have been taken of one
harbor over there which we have ham,
mered day and night for months showing
100 ships, big ships, lying there. We
thought the Jap Navy was small, but we
got surprise, didn't we? People say we
are cutting down the Jap aircraft pro-
duction. Nonsense! It's huge, and what
we get doubtless doesn't equal the planes
they lose in training.
What's the matter with the American
mtnd-can't 1t grasp the horrid threat?
Doesn't 1t remember Marking?
What are the Japs doing in the coun-
tries they have occupied? Never for 4
minute think that they are not entrench-
ing. Factories rise overnight, planes
come out Of strange places. They are
making their empire impregnable right
under our noses. Suppose the Jap digs
In and then glllEs-says: I'm not mad
any more and win not dsht, but, honor.