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THE JUNGLE ROAD TO TOKYO
NEW YORK, Thursday
A memorable narrative of the
land campaign against Japan
from New Guinea to Tokyo is
due for publication to-morrow in
Lieut.-General Robert Eichel-
berger's memoirs "Our Jungle
Road to Tokyo."
He has stripped war of all its
gloss and glory with a profound
understanding of the combat
troops.
He is generous in praise of the
courageous men and graphic in
his descriptions of the dangers
which the Australian and Ameri-
can forces faced.
He fulsomely praises Austra-
lian Wirraway pilots who, until
they were all shot down, provid-
ed his only aerial reconnaissance.
General Eichelberger, after the
early American disasters in the
New Guinea campaign, was sent
to replace Major-General E. F.
Harding.
General MacArthur's words
rang in his cars: "Bob, I am put-
ting you in command at Buna.
Relieve Harding and remove all
officers who won't fight. If neces-
sary put Sergeants in charge of
battalions, and corporals in
charge of companies -- anyone
who will fight. Time is the
essence."
General MacArthur's parting
shot was "Bob, I want you to
take Buna or not come back
alive."
General Eichclbergcr's narra-
tive began in August 1942 when
he flew to Rockhampton to take
charge of the U.S. 1st Corps,
comprising two division in Sir
John Laveruck's 1st Australian
Army. He found "Yanks and
Aussies restive in fraternal
bonds" in their efforts to achieve
fealty to a unified command.
He said that though he was
everywhere received courteously,
he detected "rivalries, animiosi-
ties and mutual suspicions behind
the clasped hands of Allied mili-
tary friendship."
General MacArthur, he said,
had asked for key American
officers to assist the Australians
with staff work.
"The Australians didn't think
they needed much help from any-
one," he said. "Many of the
commanders I met had already
been in combat in North Africa
and though they were usually too
polite to say so, considered the
Americans to be at best inexperi-
enced theorists."
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