Show Stimson Voices Confidence In Outcome at Salerno WASHINGTON Sept 16 The position of or allied troops Inthe in the Jie battle of Salerno is serious Secretary of War Stimson said Thursday but our commanders I are confident confident- I Describing the struggle south of Naples as one of the most critical crit- crit teal cal battles of t the Mediterranean campaign Stimson said reinforcements reinforcements reinforcements reinforce reinforce- ments and additional supplies were reaching the allied forces now reported reported re- re ported to have consolidated their beachhead and to making proS proS' ress Tess There here has never been any thought nought of evacuation the secretary secretary secre- secre tary ary said emphatically So far he said the forces on both sides have been about evenly matched numerically The Germans Germans Germans Ger- Ger mans have U the e advantage advantage of tn- tn in 1 communication lines he added them to bring up upI reinforcements and supplies more snore I quickly than the allies The GerI Germans Germans Ger Ger- mans also have probably a preponderance preponderance pre pre- I of ot tanks and heavy equipment he said On the other hand he said the American and British forces under Lieutenant General Mark W. W Clark have definite air all superiority handicapped somewhat because the planes plane have to fly a considerable considers considers- ble distance and a distinct asset in their ability to employ naval gunfire from allied warships a against enemy positions In the hills hUls around the beachhead The heavy opposition encountered encountered in the Salerno area was ex expected expected ex- ex Stimson continued and d on Os Pier Pee Four Column Four t James M M. M Curley Curfey 0 Was once governor of Massa Massa- I Stimsons Voices Confidence in Salerno Outcome Continued from Pate Pace One Oat constituted a risk undertaken deliberately deliberately deliberately de de- de- de because the prospect of ol success warranted It Farther to the south he said the British and Canadian troops under General Sir Bernard L L. Montgomery have seized virtually all of southern Italy and are advancing advancing ad ad- northward at an extraordinary extraordinary extraordinary rate which may shortly bring them into position to influence influence influence ence the battle at Salerno Expected Hard liard Fight We have always expected ahard ahard a 8 hard fight for the nor northern ern portion portion portion por por- tion of Italy and we are likely to get it said Stimson He described the situation like this Allied losses at Salerno have been heavy but so have the en en- Under the impetus of the initial landings Clarks Clark's troops pushed several miles inland against stiff stift opposition along a 8 beachhead beachhead beachhead beach beach- head about 25 miles long After r reeling eUng back from the first shock the Germans regrouped their forces and counterattacked and for a time some of the allied troops were pushed back Latest reports however indicate that this has been stopped The necessarily brief reports coming from the front are that both the American and British troops under Clark are fighting well well Stimson said The heaviest German attacks appear to have been made nade against the British por pOl tion-of tion the llie li line but at least one American division h has s met a heavy enemy thrust and the behavior olof ol ot of these American troops experiencing experiencing their first combat is noteworthy note note- noteworthy worthy Other War IVar Fronts Discussing other aspects of the War Stimson reported The surrender of the Italian fleet neet makes it possible for the allies to reduce their naval strength in the Mediterranean and employ the war ships for operations operations operations opera opera- elsewhere Air All operations out of England In the past week have hav been less spectacular than usual but several important attacks have been carried carried carried car car- ried out On the Russian front from the Gulf of Finland to the Sea of the red army is steadily driving driving driving ing the Germans westward For Forthe Forthe Forthe the most part the German withdrawal withdrawal withdrawal with with- has been bee beet orderly and there are indications the the Germans may try to establish a defense line tine in Russia to permit them to withdraw withdraw withdraw with with- draw troops to western Europe to meet the allied invasion threats In the south and southwest Pacific Pacific Pa Pa- the news continues to be good with general Douglas MacArthur's MacArthurs Mac- Mac MacArthurs MacArthur's MacArthurs MacArthur's Arthurs Arthur's forces having taken now advancing toward Lae where several thousand Japanese Japanese Japanese Jap Jap- anese are surrounded and their destruction Is In prospect In Burma China and the north Pacific air raids continue against the enemy That on the Japanese base in the islands sank or damaged several enemy ships and andis andis andis is considered a success although American losses were relatively heavy |