The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-10-23

of war.
 Or equally important, 1t may be the very cautious advice of Admiral Stark, Chief of Naval Operations.
 At any rate, the President dur ing recent days, appears to be putting the brakes on any belli- cose talk about the Far East. year or so ago, he was just the opposite, completely confident the Japanese were boxed in, cocksure his navy would have 'em on the run in any showdown.
 But last week Admiral Stark painted a much more pessimisttc picture, and the State Depart always a bit appeasement-minded, chimed in with him.
 However, by no means everyone in the Navy agrees with Admiral Stark. Younger naval officers counter Stark's argument that the U. S. fleet is scattered all over two oceans by pointing out that the British now have seven big war units (many of them battle ships) on the west coast which could be rushed into any battle of the Pacific.
 And to the State Departments argument that every month of waiting weakens the Japanese through our embargo on raw ma terials, these officers point out that evary week of the Russian campaign weakens our chief po- tential ally in the Far East even more.
 Finally, the younger group in- side the Navy believes that the Navy morale Is now at its peak, has the support of American public opinion, and that morale will be in the doIdrums if kept waiting too long. It would be na- tural to discount the enthusiasm of the younger officers, if 1t were not for the fact that Ad- miral II. E. Kimmell, comman- der-in-c chief of the fleet, and one of the most important men in the navy, appears to agree with them.
 NOTE - Three years ago, when 1t was proposed that the U. g. Navy cooperate with the British in a long distance naval blockade to shut off the raw materials of war from the Japanese military clique, 1t was Admiral Stark whc said No. Admiral Leahy, former Chief of Naval Operations, then Governor of Puerto Rico, empha- tically opposed him, always main- tained that that was the time tc act when the British fleet was ir It's prime, Russia had a strong fleet in the Pacific, and the United States had no worries about the Atlantic.
 MOSCOW WON'T
 BURN THIS TIME
 Diplomatic dispatches iron Moscow report that the Soviei capital probably will not burn cas- fly. except for one particular building. This is the American Embassy. Bccaase some of thu structural materials are inflamma ble, the embassy is expected tt burn like a lumber yard, if {. should catch fire.
 Furthermore it is white Struc' ture standing out on the square opposite the Kremlin, an easy mark for bombers. That was ol' reason most of the Embassy staf was moved out long ago.
 The rest of Moscow, how ever, will not be easily destroyed first because of the city's pre- dominating brick and stone con- structiOn; second, because of the cOncentric circles of wide ave- nues which will prevent fires from spreading. Therefore, Mos COW will not burn though 1t may be pounded to pieces.
 The Russians have concealed heavy artillery on the rolling hill around Moscow, and the forti fications are strong enough t' prevent any rapid advance int the city. Therefore the Nazl are expected to attack chiefly b. air and by starvation.
 EncircIement of the city In the same manner that the Ru- uaamian-Naxi army surrounded Odessa Is sure to be Hitier's tac- ties.
 NOTE - Military hindsight 1 always easier than foresight, am now it is known that one reasol for tho Nad pounding of Lenin grad ln the north and klev ln th .I.alAA. a.Anm AN ANmAll EAnzAMEMl LLEMM