Evening star., 1941-11-14
Neutrality Revision
Seen as Bolster 10
Enemeis Of Germany
Durunty Believes
Action Will Serve as
Warning to Jopon
BY WALTER DURANTY.

congress revision OF the Neu-
trallty Act transcends in i'm
portance all news from the war
fronts. Eleventh-hour doubts in
the minds of House members
clearly were due to maneuvers on
the part OF certain Democrats who
demanded that their favorable
votes be paid for" by promise
OF administrative action to prevent
strikes.
Obviously, it was difficult for the
administration TO reply that a
state OF war automatically would
90 more to prevent strikes than
anything else. Yet, venture to say.
there is no one in Germany. Great
Britain, Soviet Russia or the Nazi-
conquered countries who fails to
realize that the die now is cast as
1ar as this country is concerned.
10 all save the Nazis the decision
OF the United States Congress will
be terrific stimulus For the Brit
lsh IN particular, in whose Parlia-
ment again yesterday there was
voiced sharp criticism of "inaction, >"
the Congress vote will be a green
light for the long planned drive
against Tripol.
incidentally, no small part of this
criticism in Britain is directed
against the former "appeasers" who
stlll hold high positions-govern-
mental positions, financial positions
and former diplomatic positions.
The British people will not have
any truck with men whose past
might indicate their willingness to
make a compromise peace. and
am informed that Winston Churchill
Is fully aware of how a vast ma
1ority OF his countrymen feel on
this subject and is in complete
agreement with them.
so Near and Yet So Far"
Meanwhile, the Russians hold
ground everywhere except in the
region of Kerch. on the eastern
edge Of the Crimea. where the Nazis
boast they reached the seashore
only 4 miles from the Caucasian
coast
Yes, but how to cross those short 4
miles against a powerful Black Sea
feet with 40 or so submarines in
the teeth Of land batteries on the
Caucasian side? Should Kerch
itself be taken, the Nazis still are
so near and yet so far" They
have no shipping available for
crossing and cannot put the Red
submarines out of action until they
have reduced Sevastopol, which ap-
pears an impossible task.
1t is interesting to note that in
the battle for Moscow. the Russians
make good use of heavy artillery
and tanks which contradicts the
Nazi claim that they have captured
or destroyed most of the Soviet war
equipment
The reason is that they. like many
foreign experts. were misled by quite
accurate Soviet figures which. put
so to 70 per cent of Soviet heavy
industry in the areas occupied by
the Nads or under Nazi guns.
What the figures do not say. how
ever, is that from so to 70 per cent
OF new Soviet war plants-making
tanks. planes. guns. munitions and
explosives-built during the last half
OF the second flve-year plan and the
current third five-year plan. since
the Nazi threat became apparent,
are located further east, along the
Volga, in the Urals and in Siberia.
Supplies of metal for these plants
are assured by two of the biggest
metallurgical establishments in the
Eastern -Magnetogorsk,
in the Southf n Urals, and Stalinsk,
In Central Siberia.
'Whistling in the Dark
The Japanese outcry over ANGLO
American threats" sounds like
"whistling in the dark" Doubtless.
II Is hard for the japanese. who
successfully bluffed their way for
ward ever since Sir John Simon's
lamentable failure ip the winter of
1892 to support Henry L. Stimson
In his attempt to check japanese ag-
eression in Manchuria. to realize
that Britain and the United States
now mean business.
But the japanese Navy chiefs
wont miss the significance of the
Neutrality Act revision and the
swift increase in strength 1t gives
the British naval forces in the Far
East.
Japan is in no position to attack
the Soviet maritime provinces at
moment when General Siberian
winter is donning his iciest armor. /
There is a lot of wild talk about
Japans drive on the Burma road
from 1ndoChina, but glance at
the map shows distances and geo.
graphic difficulties.
More probable. or at least more
reasonable, would be a move through
Ihalland against Burma. Japan
must know that this move would
involve war with all four of the |
ABCD (America, Britain. China !
Dutch) powers, plus British India. |
Also plus the Soviet Union whose
- ~oSNS e'i Willy wv dS tIl6
crow flies from the wood and paper
cities Of Japan which are so vluner-
able to lncendiary bombs.
Those who speak SO glibly of jan
anese attacks on Burma seem to ig-
more that the distance-and a vast
distance at that-operates in Allied
favor just AS any move on our part
to attack Japan directly, except by
air from the U. S. S. r., puts dis
tance in favor of Japan.
In my opinion Saburo Kurusu's
mission is An attempt by Japan to
gain time in the hope. which now
seems forlorn. that the Russians
may crack in the west. Failing that.
Japan commits suicide if it goes to
war with the United States and.
despite stories of the japanese fond
ness for hara-kiri, 1 don't believe
their Emperor, cabinet, navy or even
army, are so crazy as all that.
(Released throush N. A. N. Al