Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-08-05
Toxic Talk
just Part Of
Nerves ar
Jopan's Army Equipment
Near Exhaustion
By PAUL MALL0N

WASHINGTON. Aug. 5.-All
this Toxic talk about having
100000 soldiers ready for a
new fray IS Just so much
colossal nerve in war Of
nerves. Japan is the third most
war weary nation in the world.
The other two. Italy and Spain,
are fiat on their backs.
Japan cannot produce much
over l,250000 men for a pre-
scntable army. She has the
men, but not the equipment
cher Saturation point is 90
divisions, ranging from 5000 10
1000 men eachD
tn TO two weeks ago she had
- divisions organized on the job
Cab0ut 100000 mem. Thirty
seven divisions were in China
proper The rest were scat
tered. re In Manchuria, four at
home, four in FormoSa and
Hainan, two in Korea. She is
calling up an additional 100000
men. but some of them will have
10 bc armed with chopstiCks.
THINNER and thinner, further
L and further is the Japanese
military line being stretched. If
the Chinese had worthwhile
equipment they could walk back
into Shanghai today. AS it is.
all the Chinese can do is in
crease their guerilla warfare.
To conquer MALAYSIA, as Japan
is threatening, she will need
co-ordnated effort by strong
forces of her army. air corps
$500 planes now and navy.
The area is larger than the
whole Mediterranean. Her navy
is free but her army is tied
down by commitments else
where.
This apparently explains why
Mr. Roosevelt-in the midst of
loud threats from Tokio--de-
cidcd 10 take a Today sailing
vacation and asked not 10 be
disturbed.
FIGHTING spirit of soldiers
Il still counts most in wars.
Machines only are implements
for il.
This is what the army is try
ing TO say in justification of its
mass army policies against its
critics like Rep. Ross Collins,
who want machines, machines,
machines.
The new fighting creed of this
nations army (Which is likely
10 be pinned 10 the wall at the
bcdhead of every soldier) may
welLbe a leading editorial in
this months Infantry Journal.
answering accusations that the
general staff has an infantry
mind. It's giSt
"The infantry mind Is a mind
which thinks men are the
essence Of fighting. that the
hearts. CUTS and blood of soldiers
win wars, that bOmbers, tanks
and jeeps; howitzcrs, guns and
mortars: grenades, pursuit
planes and rifies-are tools i'm
The hands of men. of fighting
men, and can never win wars by
themselves"
THE infantry mind is the
same mind a. the air force mind,
the armored force, the quarter
master. the field artillery and
ordnance mind-one single mind
with one single, hard driving
aim--the defeat. the crushing
defeat of the enemy"
TllE JapS are edging into Indo-
i China air bases 600-700 miles
from the far eastern citadel OF
the British at Singapore, yet nc
one here is much Worsied abou,
the base being bombed out OF
Effective bombing ranges arc
definitely limited in this war sc
far. The Germans. for instance
have been able to blitz Liverpool
all-out -SeXcraL-limes,-buL
the main British reception porr
OF Glasgow. although their base,
are but 500 miles away from
that priced objective.
Aviation books give grea
ranges for present day bomberS
but the truth is they have 4
sacrifice either bombs or gas
olinc for maximum efficiency
They can choose to carry
formidable number OF bombs
Sheri distance or an incense
quoniial number of bombs a lon
distance.
Distributed hy KIug Features s,hd. I
Reproduction IA whole o. M par,
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