Evening star., 1940-11-10
Vast Repercussions
Promised in Wars
Civilian Casualties
Day of Reckoning Seen
Result of Appalling
Non-Combotunt Dead
BY KIRKE L. SIMPSON,
Associated Press Staff Writer.

Associated Press Stan writer.
Military losses in Europe's war
are insignificant compared to World
War figures, but civilian casualties
may do more to reshapf world des-
tiny and restrain the war urge OF
all national leaders in the future
than battles by armies, navies or
airplanes.
A day of grim reckoning with
public opinion must come with an
ever mounting and already appall-
ing toll of on-combatant loss OF
life and limb being paid as the price
OF this war.
- More than 81 100000 soldiers were
killed or manned in the World War,
but its civilian casualties were not
great. There are as yet no authentic
comparable figures for this war
There can be no doubt, however,
that military losses, even including
those of the Sino-JapaneSe con-
f1ict, are as strikingly low as civilian
casualties are terribly high.
Only English Toll Known.
The full story of non-combatant
war dead--men, women and chill
dren-may never be written in cold
statistics. None now knows what
the toll has been in China, under
japanese bombing: in Poland, where
the Nazi air blitzkrieg first struck;
in Scandinavia, the Low Countries,
or in France.
Only from England has come grim
official word. Prime Minister
Churchill has kept Britain and a
shocked world advised. And his
most recent recapitulation empha-
sized that it is civilians, helpless
bystanders, not soldiers who are
bearing the brunt of the battle of
Britain.
Fourteen thousand civilians Gin
England) have been killed and 20
900 wounded" Mr.. Churchill told
Parliament November S. LAS against
those, 300 soldiers have been killed
and 500 wounded"
- Those figures are appalling. Yet
dire predictions of still greater death
tolls for Britain thundered out Of
Munich and Rome this week end.
Hitler, in his Munich speech, said
the British wanted ito destroy
Germany with an air war. 1 will now
show them who will be destroyed" "
And the Rome newspaper II Giornale
d'Italia followed up with an an
nouncement that tremendous air
bombardment of English and its
allies" would be launched immedi-
ately as reprisal for British raids in
Italy.
German Toll Unknown.
Four out OF five of those British
civil casualties were in London.
What the like toll of British counter
bombing has been in German cities
or in German-seized territory across
the channel is unknown.
To Mr.. Churchills mind, revela-
ton of British casualties will only
stiffen British public determination
to carry on and stir American and
other acknowledgement public opinion
to increasing indignation against
the aggressor nations.
BY contrast, both in Germany and
Italy there is no such revelation
That raises the question whether
Hitler and Mussolini dare risk
German or italian public reaction
Both have multiplied enemy losses
minimized their own. Their figures
are beyond acceptance abroad if not
at home, but they cannot indefinitely
keep the facts from their peoples.
Had British losses, whether mill
tary civilian or in cargo tonnage or
planes, actually reached proportions
claimed in Berlin, this war would
be over or very near it now. In
stead Britain's counter air offensive
is gaining in scope and range day
by day. That is proof of a Nazi
failure increasingly driven home on
German public opinion.
Quick Victory Unlikely.
Only a quick and conclusive vic
tory over Britain by the axis mates
could have averted ultimate realiza-
ton in both Germany and Italy
that he who lives by the sword will
die by the sword. A quick victory for
the axis powers is no longer in the
cards.
If Britain reaches air equality
with her foe, as she hopes to do in
another six months, the reverse side
of the total war medal will be
visible, beyond any propaganda con-
cealment, to the German and italian
people.
,,, At that moment the question of
who started wholesale bombing of
-combatants will become even
more urgent in the German and
Italian public mind than it is now
In the minds of the British people,
who already know the facts. Then
the day of reckoning for the axis
war lords with their own people
for the horrors they loosed on the
world may come.