The midland journal., 1940-01-19
By HUGH S. JOHNSON

indicate a likelihood of any imme-
diate change from the present
strange standstill war anywhere.
Few great offensives have ever been
begun in winter and few great bat
ties fought.
The world is almost sure to have
a breathing spell, but the coming
of spring threatens terrible things.
I don't believe that Goering was
bluffing in his New Year message.
Nobody ought to prophesy, but how
can the spring of 1910 be anything
other than now-or-never for the lit
tie handful of scoundrels at the head
of the Nazi party and government?
In a war purely of economic
strangulation, they cannot possibly
win. 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 ! can think
Of that will avert 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 Hitler-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.-I frequently do
not agree with Oswald Garrison Vii
lard. emphatically do not agree
with many of the things said in his
latest book, "Our 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 () that we have no defense
policy whatever; (2) that all our .ex-
penditures bear no relation what
ever (?) to an established military
program; (3) 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)
that 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; (5) that the primary de-
tense problem for the United States
is as to whether we are only to de-
fend our shores or prepare again to
fight abroad; (6) that, because of
the failure to define what we shall
to defend, our policies, notably in
the Pacific, vary from year to year,
almost from hour to hour; (7) that
until that is settled we are adding to
our vast expenditures without the
slightest guarantee that those out
lays make for saner or better de-
fense =; (8) that there are grave
faults in the organization of the war
and navy departments and (9) that
they fail to cooperate with each
other; (10) that although no less
than seven billions have been spent
for defense since the fiscal year
1934-35 the war department admits
amazing shortage in supplies of fun
damental Importance; (11) that
there is no hope of balancing a nor
NAL budget without putting definite
limit to the increase of army and
navy expenditures now fast approxi-
mating two billions of dollars, etc."
There is no room here to point
out some of the inaccuracies, over
emphasis and conclusions, but in a
general way, I strongly feel that
the book does bring ample docu-
mentation and authority to estab-
fishing what he here says it proves.
A commission inquiry is impera-
i've. II IL uIluS tIldC ILLS COluIIlIl
and Mr.. Wizards book are wrong, it
will be a splendid vindication-which
I, for one, would welcome. If it
finds that we are only partly right,
the country ought to know it.
General Marshall, chief of staff,
has just said that in spite of these
billions, our defense is not Is per
cent effective. He charges it to the
historians and he is right in his
reasons, but there are other culprits.
I would shudder to see careful
compilation of comparative unit
costs-per soldier or per ton of ship
ping-as between our own and the
armies and navies of all other ma
tions. It would shock the country.
It is no fault of army and navy
officers. It is true that congress
has not recently been niggardly,
but there are plenty of reasons in
congress and politics for this cock
eyed extravaganza.
II didn't make so much difference