'Rine'!

Snarling Generals And The New Guinea War

ANEW book on the Southwest Pacific War, by the American Air Force Gen eral Kenny, setting out some bitter home-truths about the ghastly muddling of Australian and American brass-hats, has caused a stir in Australia’s ageing military circles.

From the book, and from “letters to the editor” since the book was reviewed, it is clear that some Australian leaders hated other Australian leaders with a vicious and deadly hatred, in those critical months in Papua and New Guinea.

Two other things that come out clearly are a general admiration for General Douglas MacArthur, and the high quality displayed by those battle-hardened Seventh and Ninth Australian Divisions, when they got into the mud and stench of jungle warfare.

But we cannot follow the war through these readable pages—it is much too complicated. Better re-tell one of Kenney’s best stories.

Kenney kept the Americans and Aus tralians as far apart as possible.

To illustrate the handicap of too-close co-operation, he says an Australian weather officer once was explaining to an American crew that there might be rain clouds on the way to the bombing target.

“What are ‘rine-clouds’?” asked one American pilot.

His co-pilot remarked: “He said ‘rime clouds’—clouds that have rime-ice.”

The Americans worried about this, were preparing to get de-icing equipment fitted to the aircraft until it was explained that, in the Australian accent, “ram” be came “rine.”

Miss Eleanor Rivett, MA, formerly Prin cipal of the Women’s Christian College at Madras, has been appointed Woman Secretary of the London Missionary Society,Australia and New Zealand Com mittee. Miss Rivett succeeds Miss Kath leen Scott, who resigned some time ago on her marriage to the Rev. James Kay of New Zealand.