The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-03-03
Pacific VS.. Europe

MacArthur's attack on the Admiralty islands
and broadly, with the objective of the present
Pacific campaign declare the combined pur-
pose of Macarthur and Admiral Ninitz is to
retake the Philippines and establish base
for a drive on the China coast to cut ia
pans empire in half and destroy his COM
munication with Burma Malaga, the East
Indies and southwest Asia.
This may be the true picture of the war in
the south and central Pacific. Or it may be
only the wishful thinking of the individual
who wrote the dispatches thousands Of miles
from the scene. From the layman's view
point, the definite objective of these opera
lions is not of equally vital interest with the
fact that Macarthur and Nirnitz are moving
nearer and nearer the ultimate goal-Japan
with what seems irresistible force and strik-
ing power. They are doing such remarkable
things that even though we have not felt
the full strength of Japan, as military lead
ers contend the progress toward victory in
the Pacific is unmatched on any front save
in Russia alone.
The Gilberts, the Marshals, the Solomons
the Marianas the Admirably group, strongholds
the Japanese had developed to high degree,
are no longer enemy bastions. Instead, they
are rapidly becoming points of beginning for
the mighty thrust that will bring Japan to
its composite knees.
Truk and Rabaul are to afford American
task forces bases from which to launch in
creasingly powerful air and naval operations
The principal harbor in the Admiralties is
ranging American submarines which have
preyed so successfully upon Japanese ship
ping and naval strength.
And this has come about at time when
the prime Allied attack was intended to be
directed against the Nazis in Europe. The
Churchill conferred with President Roosevelt
in Washington after Pearl Harbor contem-
plated the defeat of Hitler first and only
holding war in the Pacific. Macarthur went
to Australia to prevent the Japanese expand
ing their conquests in the Greenland that
only. He was given hardly more than token
force He was continually handicapped by in
adequate deliveries of men and materiel,
while the growing armed manpower and in
dustrial production of the country were chief
ly modified for the Battle of Europe.
In spite of this, he has steadily fought his
way northward with such forces as he could
muster and the magnificent support of Ad-
mral Halsey immobilizing tens of thousands
of Japanese troops, until he is now within
striking distance of the Philippines. And Ad-
miral Ninitz finally given adequate air and
surface strength, has moved westward, sweep
ing everything before him, until these two
intrepid leaders are all but united for joint
assault on whatever obstacles still remain in
their road.
This achievement is the more remarkable
in that while it has been going on we have
been sending troops and war tools to Eng
land in such volume that, as one Wilmington
observer remarked last night, every time a
man lands in the British Isles another man
has to step off on the other side. And still
the final battle with Hitler is to be started.
There is something out of focus somewhere
1t is not preposterous to think that if Mac
Arthur had been given the forces and equip
ment that have gone to England during two
years Japan would now be ready to throw in
the sponge.