The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1939-1949, 1940-01-18
~ HUGH S. JOHNSON

WAsHINGTON.-The experience
:, winter war in Finland does not
;,d;cate likelihood of any imme-
date change from the present
strange standstill war anywhere.
Few great offensives have ever been
heu,n in winter and few great bat
ties fought.
The world is almost sure to have
. breathing spell, but the coming
n spring threatens terrible things.
I don't believe that Goering was
b,,ffine in his New Year message.
Nobody ought to prophesy. but how
can the spring Of 1910 be anything
otber than now-or-never for the lit
lie handful of scoundrels at the head
at the Nazi party and government?
In q war purely of economic
srangulation, they cannot possibly
vin. Furthermore, their gradual
relative weakening and their con-
slant inaction makes less and less
likely any kind of negotiated peace
that, politically, they could afford to
sign.
The only thing that I can think
Of that will avert q terrible ordeal
in the air no later than April is
something that could happen within
Germany to change its government.
That there may be popular up
rising against the itler-Goering
gang am told is most unlikely. But
the life of no tyrant or even group
Of tyrants is ever secure.
Assassination is not in the books
as part of modern war methods.
But when one single warped individ-
ual holds over the head of the whole
world so much misery, danger and
death, who would question divine
providence if something like that
should happen to Adolf?
WASHINGTON.- frequently do
not agree with Oswald Garrison Viii
lard. emphatically do not agree
with many of the things said in his
latest book, sour Military Chaos"
/ can't support many of his con-
clusions. but I have long supported
his principal one-which is that we
need an impartial non-partisan, ex-
tra-governmental commission to
look into the question of national
defense.
In summing up his own book, he
says-in the main. truly: ''It has
shown CD that we have no defense
policy whatever; (2) that all our ex-
penditures bear no relation what
ever CD to an established military
program; CD that we are asking the
impossible Of the army and navy
since We do not tell what to defend
or how or where to defend it.; (4)
tnat there can be no adequate de-
tense policy set up until there is
decision as to what our foreign pol
icy is to be, until our detectives are
defined; 80 that the primary de-
Tense problem for the United States
IS as to whether we are only to de-
lend our shores or prepare again to
ngnt abroad: (6) that, because of
the failure to define what we shall
% defend, our policies, notably in
me Pacific, vary from year to year,
almost from hour to hour; ca that
until that is settled we are adding 20
our vast expenditures without the
sngntest guarantee that those out
lays make for a saner or better de-
tense -; 90 that there are grave
iauits In the organization of the war
ana navy departments and 90 that
ney fail to cooperate with each
oner; d0 that although no less
.nan seven billions have been spent
LOT defense since the fiscal year
!s's-ao the war department admits
amazing shortage in supplies of fun
1amental Importance; CID that
uere is no hope of balancing a nor