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WIDE ACTION
IN PACIFIC
Japan Forced On
Defensive
A.A.P. And Our Special Representative
WASHINGTON, November 22.
American lasses in the big naval
battle off Guadalcanal were In-
creased today to a total of nine
snips with an announcement by the
Wavy Of tbe sanlrjng of ?norhw
destroyer. Ite name was not dis
closed.
Tbe vessel was damaged by a
torpedo during the action on tbe
night of November 14 and 15, and
sank en route to an American bast
Tbe Navy bad previously an
nounced tbe loss of two light
cruisers and six destroyers against
which the Japanese lost 28 ships
sunk. Including certainly one, and
possibly two, battleships.
There is stall no further word of
*Yip land fighting on Guadalcanal,
where American Marines and Army
troops yesterday were stepping-up
the drive designed to expel the
enemy.
The 'spotlight has temporarily
turned away from the Solomons
towards tbe Asiatic mainland
where British and American flien
pounded enemy positions in Malaya
and Burma and Chinese forces con
tinued minor counter-attacks. It
is hoped here that American pilots
stationed in China win soon break
into the news with heavy offensives
against Japanese coastal bases.
Karl Eskehmd, United Press
correspondent at Chungking, stated
in a radio dispatch, that the Ameri
can ah- force in China had shown
its power in recent raids on Han
kow and Hongkong. The Japanese
now rarely attacked American
bases in China.
Note Of 3eslraint
Authorities agree with, the public
Judgment here that events In tbe
Pacific in the past fortnight glva
legitimate reason for rejoicing, but
are disturbed lest the public be led
to expect too much In tbe way of
immediate Allied offensives. It is
emphasised that tbe bitterest and
most costly fight has yet to come.
This warning is timely as head
lines throughout America paint a
roseate picture. The "New York
Times" declares: The Solomons
sea victory staggers the Japanese,''
and the "Herald Tribune" says,
"The *fln??ri successes raised toe
possibility of an offensive, or series
of offensives, that will really start
the Japanese rolling back."
To bring the Pacific pVtiirt* Into
balance wen-informed sources
point out that the Japanese stm
probably enjoy numerical su
periority in snips and naval per
sonnel in the south-west Pacific,
and that AdmL Halsey*s tactical
genius will be taxed to the limit
to overcome this.
It is further anticipated that the
Japanese will not tamely accept
defeat, but will make at least one
more powerful attempt to retake
f^nnriftipgrinl perhaps *^ilnrfHfaw
with a heavy attack on Port
Moresby.
Vital Sphere
One of the most outspoken of
those demanding that more Amerl-'
can energy should be diverted to
tbe Pacific is Upton Close, the his
torian and ? authority on the. fiar
East, who says in a trenchant
article in the Hearst Press, "Future
historians wQI not make the mis
take being made now of supposing
that the chief theatre of the war
is Europe. They will see plainly
the great historical fact which at
present Is obscured—that this war
ushered in the Pacific era. At
present we are favored by a great
democratic movement in Asia, but
unless America acts quickly, the
movement will be crushed under
Japan's heel. If this should hap
pen, there would be a period of
chaos.
"The Atlantic era has passed and
the future prosperity of trade and
cultural growth will be centred in
the Pacific."
Charles Hurd, of the Washing
ton bureau of the "New York
Times." says that a single week
has changed the military and
naval estimate of the Pacific war
1 from anxiety to confidence.
$