South Yorkshire Times – Saturday 21 March 1942
The Next Round
Mr. Roosevelt has answered Mr. Curtin’s appeal with an expeditionary force for Australia under General MacArthur, whose glorious stand in Manila Bay is the one bright spot in our Pacific war record. MacArthur’s is a name to conjure with and his appointment to command the forces gathering for the defence of Australia is immensely heartening—so profound and pathetic is the faith of the mass that the hour produces the man.
There is a perceptible slowing of the Japanese “blitz”, though the lava still rolls north and south. The Japanese are caught in the toils of their own grandiose strategy; they must go on expanding until they burst. Already, in spite of our sacrificial losses at sea there are signs of a powerful recoil from the United Nations, whose leadership has now passed to the United States. The first fine careless rapture of the Japanese advance is passing, and the more normal and natural caution of a race long in tutelage to Western prestige is returning.
The attack on Australia must be undertaken, for the Japanese cannot stand still any more than can the Germans; they must conquer or be conquered, go on or go back. It is probable that India is to be contained by blockade while Australia is directly assaulted. With the fate of Australia is bound up the decision of the Pacific war.
The counter-stroke must come from Australia if at all, and Australia must therefore be held firm and inviolate. The Australians are themselves seized of the fact and are “stripped” for ordeal by battle.
As General Wavell ruefully remarked, we lost the race for control of Burma and the Dutch East Indies by several weeks. It is inconceivable that we should lose the race for control of Australia.