Evening star., 1941-10-10

iHAuol VI WlldG Dahu LaWTehce
appears to be a huge reverse for
Russia, President Roosevelt is asking
for power to arm Americas merchant
ships. This direct challenge to Hit
Ter no doubt will stiffen Britain's
morale and keep the people of occu-
pied countries expectant with respect
to more and more American aid.
The question of whether Congress
will be more or less receptive to war
like measures remains to be decided.
In the past, every time Britain's fleet
has seemed to be in peril or England
herself has seemed to be in danger
of being effectively blockaded, the
President has moved nearer and
nearer to conveys and actual sea war.
Mr.. Roosevelt today has given
Congress blunt reminder that the
period of drifting, which has en-
braced the last three months, is
about over and that America is con-
fronted once more with the realities.
AS long as Russia seemed to be hold
ing her own, there has been a dis
position here to take things easy
and to imagine that plenty of time
was available for the fulfillment of
our defense program. Congress took
a vacation this summer and the
tempo of the whole defense program,
while somewhat accelerated, was by
no means stepped up as would have
been the case if America had faced
a real crisis.
Might Picture Victory.
Now things have grown blue again.
II Russias resistance is weakened,
will Britain face desperate maneu-
yer by Germany to invade the
islands?
There is a feeling here that Hitler
Is doing a lot of wishful thinking
when he proclaims for propaganda
purposes that Russia has been
crushed" The capacity Of Russia
to keep Hitler's armies busy for the
next year or so is conceded here.
Rather, it is apparent that Hitler
would like to dig in for the winter
and stand still while turning his
energies toward England once more.
Just the other day the Japanese
press, inspired by Berlin, signifi-
Cantly exhorted Hitler not to pene-
trate too far into Russia. Hitler
himself, by announcing huge VIC
tory, can now argue to his own
people that his objectives had been
attained.
It is plain that Hitler has not
enjoyed exposure of his western
front to air attack by the British and
he feels he must now divert his air
strength to western Europe. How,
then, could he leave the eastern
front except with some kind Of
victory. Possession of Moscow would
afford him the opportunity to limit
his invasion. But it would not end
Russian resistance. 1t would, on the
other hand, curtail the big casualty
lists that have lowered the morale
Of the German people and it would
spare the German cities some OF
the destruction which has been
wrought against them due to weak
ened defenSeS in the air.
japanese Case Cited.
While there is no tendency here to
minimize the scope of Hitler's ad-
vancing operations in Russia, there
Is nevertheless a confidence that
Hitler has no more succeeded in
hquidating Russia by seizing key
cities than Japan has in liquidating
China, even though she holds all
seaports.
There Is reason to believe that
the Russians have taken account of
possible far-reaching successes by
the Na5is and that sufficient supply
factories and mobilization points
have been arranged behind the
Moscow-Leningrad line. At this
moment there Is not the slightest
lessening of determination In Wash
ington to keep the back door to
Russia open by every sea or land
route in Asia. The war will be a
long one. Knocking out a few Rus
sian cities will not end the conflict.
That is the fact which has to be
kept in mind as the fortunes of war
fiuctuate. The effect on America is
problematical. But it seems, judging
by the past, that aid to Britain will