Imperial Valley Press

EDITOR'S NOTE: The following editorials are presented as interesting opinions voiced by editors elsewhere. They do not necessarily reflect the opinion of this paper.

MACARTHUR COMES THROUGH ONCE MORE
(Oroville Mercury)

Chalk up another one for MacArthur. We began to like MacArthur especially well after he had joined his two armies on Luzon and had extricated them by a brilliant maneuver from a Japanese trap, placing them in previously prepared positions on Bataan. It enabled him to offer prolonged resistance that damaged the Jap timetable and bolstered the morale of the United Nations.

We liked him again when he took charge of Australia's defenses and won the confidence of the Aussies. Obviously our forces were in good hands there. That our confidence was not misplaced was demonstrated Monday when a waiting world learned that MacArthur was ready at Milne Bay when a strong Jap naval force landed numerous reinforcements and supplies at that point to outflank Port Moresby.

The radio hummed Sunday morning with the bad news. It seemed that the naval force of one cruiser and 8 destroyers had slipped into Milne Bay under cover of a tropical storm and had with little resistance landed forces that were to overwhelm the Australians and Americans there. It was a Japanese coup and spoiled the good news of the Solomons actions that the navy finally had summarized for us. We had been outflanked in turn and Port Moresby, ideal jumping-off point for the Japs for an invasion of Australia, was likely to fall.

Only 24 hours later came the news that the new Jap force was being annihilated. MacArthur had prepared in advance for just such a Japanese move. He had his men ready in sufficient force not only to wipe out the Japs but to do it so expeditiously as to seize their supplies.

MacArthur is measuring up to his job. It takes brains to win wars.