The Republican., 1941-10-23
GLOOM PURVEYORS
Washington, Oct. 18.


With the great Russian tragedy
there recently has developed here, and
elsewhere, another wave of extremely
pessimistic feeling about the outcome
of the war comparable to that which
infected both the War and State De-
partments, to say nothing of various
political circles, when, right after the
fall of France in June, 1910, it was
difficult to find any of our military or
diplomatic authorieies who thought
England could hold out for more than
a month or two.
They were very badly mistaken
then, and they made the same kind of
mistake last June, when, following the
Nazi attack on Russia, the almost
unanimous military expert view was
that the Russians would crumple up
within three weeks. Now, after four
months, there is a renewal of this sort
OF pessimism, probably justified so far
as Russia is concerned by the terrible
reverses of the last few weeks. Those
who last June thought Russia would
last only three weeks, now point out
that they We're mistaken only in the
matter of time, not in the basic fact
that the crumpling was inevitable.
But these forecasters of disaster do
not stop with the Russian doom.
Looking forward to the spring, they
paint the picture in colors so dark that
but for the memory of their past
errors the most stouthearted would be
depressed. While, of course, much of
this springs from the desperate ma
tue of the Russian situation, the fact
that it comedies with the opening of
the fight for revision of the hampering
Neutrality Act gives some ground for
suspecting that, at least in part, this
extremely gloomy view of the future
is tinged with propaganda not uncon-
nected with the opposition to revision.
###
The chief notes struck are that
there is now no way to win the war;
that talk Of crushing Hitler is hollow;
that the most that can be hoped is
stalemate in which both sides will
find themselves exhausted and the
world generally in ruins 1t is pointed
out that War Department figures re-
Gently used by an Assistant Secre-
tary of War concede that the Nazis
have 100000 trained and equipped
men in their armies. We have fewer
than 100000 men, by no means all
trained or all equipped, in ours; and
the British have fewer than four mil
lion all over the world. Even if we
could land an AEF on the European
Continent, we would not be able to
rout Hitler; but the mere idea of
transporting and supplying a large
American army in Europe is absurd.
No one thinks it possible and no one
contemplates the attempt.
Continuing, these prophets of gloom
predict that next spring, having thor
oughly cleaned up the Russians and
with no army anywhere in Europe left
to oppose him, Hitler can and will
concentrate upon cutting the British
life line in the Atlantic with an air
force against which no number of
naval vessels could supply adequate
protection. In addition, it is contended,
with Russia out, the British blockade
will be ineffective both as to food and
oil. Also, the idea of effective revolt
in the conquered European countries
by starving an unarmed people is not
seriously cherished by realistic men.
Finally, it is suggested that next
spring, at the peak of his strength
and with England threatened as never
before, Hitler will put out a peace
proposal which the British cannot re-
ject.
mm#
All this fits beautifully into the iso