Evening star., 1944-12-14
Growth of u. S. Pacific Forces
Crushing Jops, Writer Finds
Time Consuming Distances, Greatest Obstacle
To Americans, Slowly Being Overcome

Guam; Maj. Gen. Graves B. Erskine
Marine Corps; Brig. Gen. H. D.
(Spud) Campbell, still fighting the
Japs in Peleliu, in the Palau group;
1t. Gen. M. F. Harmon, command
ing the Army's Pacific air forces,
and Gen. Douglas Macarthur at
his headquarters in the Philippines.
No Surrender Indicated.
There is certainly no feeling out
in this part of the world at this
time that there will be any show
ing of the white flag. The end OF
the European war, on the other
hand, may give the indication OF
the pattern for the future. 1t may
furnish the opportunity for the
Japanese war party to save face
At that time, the industriahsts of
Japan, having received vivid i'm
preston of the destructive power of
American naval bombardment to
the accompaniment of the catas-
trophic wrecking by the B-29s, may
suggest that this would be an ap-
propriate time to get out, because
then Japan would be fighting the
world.
On the other hand, there is a
strong belief that if Japan does not
seize upon this opportunity to get
from under the destructive power
OF American might, then she will
fight on to the end, and the forces
engaged out here must settle down
to a long, hard and difficult con-
flict.
Even in the back areas, on is
lands which have been by-passed in
the forward advance and on is
lands where American forces have
landed and are firmly dug in, which
months ago have been announced
as Secured" there are Jap mill
tary forces. They are not now CIV
ing any real trouble, because the
Americans are not paying any at
tention to them.
Holed Up in Caves.
They are holed up in caves in
Pelelieu and Angular. where even the
flame throwers cannot reach them
through the hundreds of passages,
and in the tropical jungles of Saipan
and Guam. In these places, it be-
comes wearing-out operation.
Water is their problem, and they are
being reduced gradually as they slip
out for this necessity.
But this merely shows the tough
and incessant kind of warfare which
the American forces must face for
many, many months unless the Jap
decides to fold up when he has the
world on his back at the conclusion
Of the European conflict.
Jap air power still has to be reck-
oned with. Several times before the
American public was told that the
second B-29 raid on Tokyo was
made from Saipan, the Japs ap-
parently knew they were there for
no good, because they had come over
with several aerial attacks. Even as
far back in rear area as Hollandia,
in New Guinea, they still have few
float planes hidden under foliage
along the shore, which they use now
and then for harassment raids.
Alerts Are Frequent.
In Leyte, Philippine Islands, there
Is plenty of indication of Jap aerial
strength. Almost hourly the Jap
planes come over and bomb the
ships in the harbor and strafe the
airstrip. In the short time we were
there, there were five alerts and
Japanese planes could be heard
droning In the heavy clouds which
hung low over the. area. AS q
matter Of fact, we took of from the
airstrip in hurry as the Japs were
coming in for their regular $50
afternoon strafing.
Artillery and machine gun fire was
incessant on the not far distant front
lines, while we were visiting q
church which had been turned into
an evacuation hospital. In there,
where the pews formerly stood,
there were rows and rows Of Army
cots on which lay men whose bodies
had been torn and wrecked by
enemy shells Just inside the en-
trance was an improvised operating
room where surgeons were piecing
together what Was left Of young
fighting men. Outside In the tor
rental rains, ambulances kept COM
ing up through the deep, oozy mud,
depositing more casualties. On
Sundays, the surgeon In charge told
us, the populace comes to services,
and disperses between the cots Of
injured men.
And every day Philippine women,
who had had some training IN nurs-
ing during the days before Japa-
nese occupation, voluntarily give
their services in caring for the cas-
ualties.