Jungles ?

Fighting in N. Guinea Jungles ?

Some Guesses About What is Happening There

ALTHOUGH no official information comes from the interior of New Guinea, it is evident, from various signs, that some lively fighting is going on there, between the invading Japs and the New Guinea men who remained and enrolled in the defence forces, or were cut off.

The Japs in Malaya boasted of their prowess in jungle fighting. The Aust ralians in New Guinea may teach them something new about that art.

There are at least three considerable parties of experienced New Guinea men in the jungle—those from Rabaul, who are somewhere in New Britain; those from Kavieng, who are in New Ireland: and the Morobe men, who are in the mainland region behind Salamaua.

Reports from Berlin and Tokio, on March 16, indicated that the Japs, having landed at Salamaua, were planning to “infiltrate” through the jungle, and cross the island, so as to take Port Moresby in the rear. Already (purred Berlin) the Japs had met the Australians in the interior.

If that is the case, it will be: God help the Japs! The jungle trip from Morobe to Port Moresby, through incredible moun tains and trackless jungles, is so tough that only the most experienced Euro peans will tackle it. If the Jans could survive it, it would be a useless' column that eventually would arrive at Port Moresby.

The men who now form the militia of New Guinea, and who apparently are carrying on a jungle war against the in vaders, are highly experienced recruiters, traders and prospectors. They know the conditions, how to handle the natives and how to live on the country. They can be expected to create a European organisa tion and to train a jungle army of native scouts and fighters; and if the Japs try to occupy the interior of New Guinea or to cross the great island into Papua our jungle fighters probably will enjoy themselves thoroughly.

Actually, the Japs have no chance whatever of crossing New Guinea and attacking Port Moresby from the rear.

Their only hope is to work along the coast —from Salamaua south-eastward to Samarai, and from Samarai westward to Port Moresby, There is much anxiety in Australia for the safety of the men left behind in New Britain, New Ireland and Morobe.

Some of the elderly men, unaccustomed to roughing it, may be suffering con siderable hardship.

But if we know our Australians, it may be assumed that the young and middle-aged men are having the time of their lives. Probably, by now, they are organised under the leadership of men experienced in jungle life; they will have the assistance of the natives, and plenty of native food; they will be able to get a fair amount of European food stuffs and equipment from the stores they took with them into the jungle, and ■ from the many isolated plantations which will be thrown open to them; and their job will be to wipe out the Japanese wherever and whenever they find them They will suffer from lack of all sorts of “home comforts”. But, against that, they can set the knowledge that they are engaged on a great adventure and a valuable military job. We make a guess that remarkable things are happening in the New Guinea jungles, these days, and that our men will have some colour

ful stories to tell when the little yellow men are at last driven away.

Which would you rather be, Mr.

Reader—a business man in Sydney, try ing to hold your dwindling assets to gether, and driven half crazy by war time rules and regulations; or an Aus tralian irregular soldier, marching free in the New Guinea jungle, with a useful rifle and good companions, and an adventurous job to do?