The Wilmington Morning Star

Combat Off Kiska
Whatever it was that happened off the Aleutians, when American warships discovered a Japanese surface force heading toward Kiska, the enemy craft soon found it expedient to reverse their direction. Whereas they had been traveling approximately west before the engagement, they were moving toward home when it was over.
In ordinary circumstances there would be justification in considering this an American victory, but the Navy department is so vague in its reports that some authorities incline to the belief that the Japanese commander may merely have started a circling maneuver to avoid heavy damage to his ships and with intent to reach his destination by another line of approach.
One fault of this kind of reporting is that it breeds speculation and to a marked degree dissatisfaction, and encourages the belief that no announcement at all would be preferable to one so inconclusive.
However, from the little we are told, we may be heartened by the knowledge that another enemy attempt to strengthen his position in the Aleutians has been at least postponed, if not actually prevented. The Alaskan forces, upon whom falls the duty of protecting the Aleutians, are doing a splendid job under heavy handicaps.