The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-02-09
Navy. Sec'y Says Small. Remaining Groups COni-
 pletely Surrounded SOLOMONS SUCCESSFUL U. s. SETUP COMMENDED South Pacific Story Might Have Been Vastly Differ
 ent Otherwise He Says
BY SANDOR s. KLEIN United Press Staff Correspondentll

DIX SANUOH B. ALIEN
 United Press Staff CorrespondentDl
 Washington, February 9. (UP) = Secretary of Navy Frank Knox said today that U. s. forces finally had smashed all organized Japanese r eSistance on Guadalcanal and were now in position to strike the enemyNs "most important bases" in that part of the world.
 Knox said at 6 press conferences that "all resistance on Guadalcannl apparently has ceased" except for c few isolated soldiers trapped in jungle defiles and valleys. M
 He said information from Guadal- canal, where American forces land- cd for the first time last August 9s supported Q Japanese official CoEil- munique that they had withdrawn troops from that most strategically important of the Solomon Islands.
 Knox indicated that surface and air engagements which started more than 8 week ago were continuing sporadically. Ai
 In bringing the 0uadalcaual phase of the Solomons campaign to 6 successful conclusion, Ametica& forces now are in position to as- sault remaining enemy bases In the island group. "
 These include the New deorgiA Islands, important because of the Japanese air base at Munda, 1B0 nautical miles northwest of Guadal. canal; the Shorthand Islands, 20B miles northwest, and Bougainville. Island with its important base oGs Buin about S07 miles northwest Of Guadalcanal. ~
 Knox made his disclosures --- in- dicating that 1000 to 5000 enemy troops either had been killed Oe evacuated in commenting on Axis broadcastS quoting 6 Tokyo. communique to the effect that the Japanese had transferred" certain, units of their army and navy from Guadalcanal and the Buna area Oe New Guinea early in February.
 Knox said that the air-sea enc agreements which have been occtlra. ring in this area for more than W' week may be in part an effort t6' cover the withdrawal of troops from the island. N.
 "The South Pacific< story might have been vastly different for thA last three or four months had we not established ourselves in the Sol@ omons successfully" Knox observed.
 Recalls Tour I
 Knox began the press confererca by recalling that when he returned from his recent tour of the south-. west Pacific he had made an este mate that significant Japanese req sistance on Guadalcanal had oel- lapsed. Then he quoted from tho Axis broadcast on the Japanese communique.
 T don't think there's any douhA about the truth of that" Knox said. What we. though were ate temptS to reinforce may have been attempts to evacuate. But that ln | speculative and we will have e await confirmation.
 "We are satisfied by cur air and ground reconnaissance Ehat thero is no large number of Japanese in any one group. Several small groups have been surrounded and cut off from supplies and Tsins forcements."
 He recalled that during his visit to Guadalcanal he had stood in an exposed position which might we'll have come under Japanese fire. Yet the enemy did not fire Q shot, probably because he didn't have any artillery shells to reach ys," Knox said.
 The few isolated Japanese groapa that were left, Knox continued, took refuge in the jungle valleya and defiles of the island whAe
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