Evening star., 1943-07-04
Real Offensive

The current campaign IN the
Southwest Pacific, stretching from
the Central Solomons to New Guinea,
has been characterized as "a real
offensive" by Secretary Of the Navy
Frank Knox. This statement was
made in San Francisco in answer to
a query as to whether there was now
material in the Pacific sufficient for
"a real offensive" The Secretary
answered with the counterquery:
What have you got today If it's not
a real offensive?" Mr.. Knox also gave
a nat mo" In reply to another ques-
toner who asked If it was still an
island-to-island proposition" ex-
panding his reply to say that there
was mo policy based on an island-to-
island program" and blaming ARM
chair strategists" for spreading that
concept.
In a prepared address Secretary
Knox assured the West Coast, long
apprehensive that inadequate" sup
plies were going out for the war
against Japan, that "the bulk Of the
Navy's growing fleets OF ships,
planes and submarines" had been
sent to the Pacific battle-ground, and
that much of the Nays sea and air
power now in production" had been
earmarked for Pacific destinations.
I'VE are exerting a major effort in
the Pacific, and this effort will be
increased and intensified as time
goes on" he declared, backing up
this general statement with the spe-
cific information that, during June,
the Navy accepted combat planes
at the rate of approximately 10000
a year." which would amount to
1856 per month. Il repeat" said Mr..
Knox, these were Navy combat
planes alone, not trainers, transports
and other noncombat types. And
this figure, as good as it is, may be
expected to 60 much higher during
the coming six months Of this year"
Secretary Knox illustrated the
scope and intensity Of the naval war
fare in the Pacific during the past
year by pointing out that in the
single battle of Guadalcanal. one OF
seven air and sea battles In the Solo,
mons campaign alone" losses were
inflicted on the Japanese exceeding
those of the German high seas Meet
in the Battle Of Jutland during the
last war, which is usually regarded
as one of the decisive naval battles
of history. Collectively, said Mr..
Knox, the air, surface and undersea
naval action between United Nations
forces and the Japanese during the
past twelve months has been the
most intensive in all the history OF
naval warfare" Yet, with the STEP
ping up of our reinforcements to the
Pacific area, past activities there may
be merely the prologue to even
greater ones to come.
The Secretary's remarks at San
Francisco coincide with other op-
timistic statements made recently by
various highly placed American,
Australian and New Zealand spokes-
men, who unite in maintaining that
the tide has turned in the Pacific
and that the Allies now hold the
overall strategic initiative. As Mr..
Knox puts it: There were times in
the past when we simply did not have
available the men, the ships and the
planes that we wanted to send to
the Pacific area. But the day OF
shortages is nearing an end"
All this does not mean that the
road to Toxic Is clear and complete
victory over Japan is in sight. The
way to ultimate triumph is doubtless
long and costly, with incidental set
backs and delays to be calmly faced
and discounted. The important
thing to remember under all cir
cumstances is that we and our Allies
have proved our mettle and that our
combined resources so exceed those
of Japan that our advantage should
become cumulatively greater beyond
the likelihood OF reversal.