DOCUMENTS The "War of G'I'eater East Asia" continued to hold its position 01 pre-eminent 'i1ll1JOrtance in the present world cOllflict d'urillg Januar1/ 1942. The Japanese NavII seems to have gained complete cont'J'ol of the southwestern Pacilic, and we al'e publ-ishing a Domei summary of Admiral Shigetaro Shimada's speech lefore the Diet on Jantta?'11 21, 1942, reviewing the successes by which this was acMeved:

The Navy Ministet', Admiral Shigetaro Since the outbreak of the war the Japanese Shimada, outlining the Japanese naval opera­ Navy bad lost four , four mine­ tions since the outbreak of the Gl'eater East sweepers, three , four transports. 67 Asia war at the 79th Diet session today de­ aircraft, while one was partly dared that the Japanese Navy virtually com­ damaged, the Navy Minister revealed. mands the Pacific from Malaya and the Dutch Reviewing Japanese naval operations in the East Indies to the West Coast of the Philippines, Admiral Shimada declared that United States, and is now closely co-operating since the start of the war the Japanese Navy with Army land and air forces in assaults had shot down or destroyed on the ground a against Singapore, the Philippines, Borneo and total of 336 enemy aircraft, sunk four destroy­ the Netherlands East Indies. ers, seven submarines and five merchantmen, Admiral Shimada said that the Imperial in addition to damaging many other enemy Navy is engaged in rapidly expanding the war vessels including a tender, while 'Scope of operations against enem~' war ves­ Japanese naval aircraft were now battering sels, especially submarines, in Asiatic waters the Corregidor fortress in Manila Bay. ,and against United States Pacific strongholds. Turning to the campaign against enemy islands in the South Pacific, the Navy Minister Admiral Shimada listed the Navy's successes revealed that in the campaign which led to the since the outbreak of the war as follows: capture of Kuching, capital of Sarawak, on I.-Sunk-, seven; aircraft ten­ December 2'1, 1941, Japanese naval units sank ·ders, two; , two; destroyers, six: two enemy SUbmarines, losing one , submarines, eighteen; and other such one and one transport. He re­ as and , twenty-six; vealed for the first time that Jolo, one of the 2.-Damaged-battleships. four; seaplane group of islands of the Sulu Archipelago, was tender, one: destroyers, three. captured by the Japanese Navy. Dnring the Tarakan campaign, he said, the Commenting on the operations of Japanese Japanese Navy sank the Netherlands East undersea-craft, Admiral Shimada revealed Indies Prinz van Oranje, while nine that Japanese U-boats operating off United enemy bombers were shot down in the vicinity States waters up to date had sunk ten vessels, of Menado, He added that in the operations ,aggregating 70,000 tons, and heavily damaged off Celebes and Borneo, the Japanese Navy three others totalling 30,000 tonll, and also had so far acconnted for 18 submarines. partially damaged five vessels aggregating ·40,000 tons, Concluding, the Navy Minister said that Japanese naval bombers since December He added that the United States aircraft­ 17 have been inflicting the islands of Maui. ·carrier Langley was sunk on January 8 Johnston, Palmyra, as well as Rabaul (New south-west of Johnston Island, while the Britain) and Tutllila (Samoa) to continuous aircraft-carrier Lea;inuton was destroyed west assaults, destroying wireless facilities and ·of Hawaii on the evening of January 12. other military objectives.

A REMINDER •... that there it still time to submit entries for our Second Photo Conte~t on the subject of "Mongolia." First prize wins Cb. $300.00, second prize Ch. $200.00, third prize Ch. $100.00. Closing date for entries: March 5, 1942. (For details please refer to our January issue.)