Word: southwester
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Dates: during 1940-1949
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Last week the public witnessed, and U.S. strategists suffered, an extraordinary outbreak of what Washington calls local-itis. Symptoms of this disease appeared in Alaska and the Aleutians (see p. 26), but the most virulent manifestations occurred in the Southwest Pacific area commanded by General Douglas Mac-Arthur. In conjunction with subordinate commanders and Australian politicians, he waged a public campaign, through the press, to compel a major and immediate change in U.S. strategy. ^ General MacArthur said from Australia: "The range of our air force over surrounding waters marks the stretch of no man's sea which...
...General Sir Thomas Blarney, Australian commander of Allied ground forces in the Southwest Pacific, gave point to Mac-Arthur's generalizations by remarking of the Japanese enemy: "He is now building up really big forces in this area. He has now 200,000 men and a proportionate number of airplanes. ... He is now attempting to obtain control of the air preparatory to taking the initiative." - Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox, while acknowledging increased Japanese air activity, said: "You must remember that an attack on Australia must be accompanied by a tremendous sea force, and there is no indication...
...External (Foreign) Affairs, Dr. Herbert V. Evatt, who had just arrived in Washington from Australia, translated this disparity in ominous terms: "This week Port Moresby experienced its 106th air raid when 100 Japanese planes attacked the garrison. . . . The heaviest attack yet made on Rabaul by [Allied] forces of the Southwest Pacific Area has consisted of 37 aircraft...
...Finally Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson said: "The needs of the Southwest Pacific are being kept constantly in mind and there will be a constantly increasing flow of military supplies, particularly aircraft, to that theater...
...result of this consternation piece was that: 1) Americans at large believed that an invasion of Australia soon was possible; 2) Australians believed that a rapid and immediate increase of air power in the Southwest Pacific was probable. Actually, one of the assumptions underlying American war strategy is that invasion of Australia is unlikely. One effect of this strategy, with its first emphasis on Europe, is that anything beyond very gradual increase in Pacific air power is now impossible...