Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-07-03
Word to the WISE

NOW that the battle OF France Is
over the curtain is being lifted on
some of the factors that led to the
collapse in a little more than a
month Of the finest army" the
world had ever seen. AS additional
information becomes available it
appears that there were many con-
tributing causes of the downfall of
France, but for unprepared and
unframed America the most impor-
tant of these concerns the relative
losses in men by the contending
forces.
In an uncensored dispatch from
Spain on Monday, Associated Press
Correspondent Taylor Henry, who
was with the French Army, reported
that its loss in men killed, wounded
and missing was approximately
100000. From Berlin yesterday it
was announced in an official high
command communique that more
than 100000 French prisoners were
taken and that German losses aggre-
gated 156,492-27,074 being killed,
Ill ,034 wounded and 1884 missing.
These figures may not be accurate,
subject as they are to the errors and
deliberate Misrepresentation which
must be taken into account in any
dispatch coming from a war zone.
But if they are even approximately
correct, revealing, as they do, a
ratio Of one German to ten or more
French casualties, America cannot
afford to overlook their significance.
Plainly, the almost incredible sue
cess OF the Nazi campaign is based
primarily on two factors-first,
superior equipment, and, second,
troops who were better trained in the
use OF that equipment. The French
soldiers were trained-well trained
but not in the type of war they were
forced to fight. They had been pre-
pared for war of position; the Ger
mans elected to fight war of move
ment in which we'll co-ordinated
blows by planes and mechanical
units were decisive. To this kind Of
mobile war the French had no answer
in men nor in equipment, and hence
there resulted, in the words of one
French minister, the slaughter Of
men who no longer had the means
to defend themselves"
In the United States we are begin
ming the task of assembling the
instruments of modern war. But in
the equally important matter OF pre-
pairing an adequate reserve Of
trained manpower we are doing next
to nothing. AS one reads of the COL
lapse Of France, Of Marshal Petain's
sorrowful admission that the repub-
lie fell for three reasons-lack of
equipment, lack of manpower and
lack of determination-it is difficult
to believe that we, as a Nation, can
be so Indifferent to our own weak
ness. But the fact remains that no
vigorous effort is being made by the
administration or by congressional
leaders to set up a system Of COM
pulsory military training based on
the selective draft, the only fair and
effective way in which the necessary
number of trained men can be
secured. 1t is possible that this
reluctance to act is rooted in political
considerations, in the fear that COM
pulsory military training may be
accompanied by CONSUMPTION of
wealth. But this should not be a
deterrent factor, for the one has no
relation to the other. Each should
be considered on it's individual
merits, and by that measurement it
is clear, at least, that the time for
selective training is Immediately at
hand.
Any further delay, in the light of
the ratio of French casualties to
German, invites even greater disas-
ter for the young Americans who
may have to fight for their country
in the next few vearS