Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-04-14
BY HUGH :. JOHNSON

ny VII - 'C'+'pO-'
CHICAGO. April 14.-The out
~ come of the war in SOUTH
eastern Europe has been AS
shocking in unprotected results
as was the war in Poland and
western Europe. Facts are still
too uncertain 10 predict final
result more than TO say that the
outlook scans very dark.
The reason why those Of our
experts who went out on a
limb were nearly all proved so
tt,tfttttifffty- wrong athetit q ieerrii
bantam and British resistance
was that they did not have
enough facts.
Nobody had enough facts-not
even our general staff. When the
history of this war is written an
outstanding puzzle will be how
the governments of all other
countries could have been and
still remain so ignorant about
the organization. equipment.
plans, strategy and tactics of the
German army.
AI4-lI some slight profess
w Sional military background
and a reasonable access 10 at
least part of much military in
formation as there is, it has not
seemed safe in this space TO pre-
dict about this southeastern
Nazi thrust. Such has not been
the case in some other quarters.
The war has produced an
amazing crop Of military COM
mentators and predlcters.
Claims of some of them TO for
eign sources and correspondents
who are said to have provided
them with enough inside dope TO
foresee major military develop
mentS area little strange. con-
Sidering that it frequently goes
beyond Our governments own
military intelligence and has
been almost as frequently proved
by events 10 have been wrong.
THE most fortnight and ruth
i less military expert thus far
has been Mr. Winston Churchill.
About the reversal of the aston
ishing brilliant British westward
military advance in North Africa
10 an equally astonishing Brit
ish retreat eastward. Mr..
Churchill said that the British
commanders didn't know and
couldn't know of the quantity
and power of German troops
, that had been ferried across
from ftaiy "a bail bail eat Bonita
If they didn't and couldn't
know, being on the spot, how
can we poor bewildered com
mentators know--groping for
conclusions so many thousands
of miles away? You are entitled
TO three guesSes.
THE method is fairly reason
able. You have large scale
map. You have tables of more or
less value showing relative
strengths in troops and, sketch
lily. probable equipment.
You know from years OF study
a good deal about the space-time
problem in troop movements,
the effect of roads and various
kinds of terrain.
You study. with meticulous
and painstaking care. every pub
liShed dispatch from the front.
You have also a background
of military knowledge of the
uses and striking and defensive
power of various types of mill
tary equipment. On this basis.
you watch every new campaign
and can perhaps guess about it
considerably better than the av-
erage layman
THAT is the method of some
L of the best of our military
kibitzers. like Major Elliot and
they frankly say so. 1t is of
great value.
II is not the method of some
Of our more extreme prophets
who claim special dope.
1t is pity. This is written at
the end of quick Journey clear
across this continent and back
again.
Never was this great bewil-
dered and apprehensive people
more anxious for both news and
informed advice about this great
threat to their peace and all
their precedentS in social. eco
monte spiritual and political life.
Never. IN my time. have they
been more avid for counsel and
information.
Nature taking aroused the
ire Of TEDDY" Roosevelt and,
through his protests, of our peo-.
pie.
But attractive fake fables
about the habits of dumb ami
mails are not half as heartless as
some Of this military taking
about the habits and outcome of
war.
Distributed by King Features synd Inc
Reproduction In whole otiin part
strictly prohibited.