Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-12-29
Jap Success
Proves u. S.
Out-PIanned
Losses in Pacific Blamed
on Lack Of Air Power
By HUGH S. JOHNSON

w termination or lnuulBlus
any filters a man would he a
blind fool to ignore the fact
that we have received some
serious Set-backS in the Pacific.
1t is not so much the loss OF
sea power at Pearl Harbor, but
the fact that the JapS would
even dare such an effort and get
away with il so well and that
they would time that with an
equally bold and successful
stroke in Luzon.
They out-planned and out
smarted us. AS TO the Philip
pines it always used TO be said
by our general staff:
"They can take the Philip
pines at any time they really
want TO take meaning,
thereby, "to pay the price"
They haven't taken them yet.
but we might just as we'll make
up our minds 10 the 49, that
our chance OF holding them is
very remote.
II is time for us 10 stop going
10 sleep with our thumbs in the
mouths Of any Of these modern
bandit nations. The answer 10
both the Philippine and Ha-
wallan fiasCoS is that we didn't
have enough air power actively
on duty far enough out at sea
10 prevent the disasters and that
our espionage or military infor-
nation system is very bad.
THERE is some justification
Il for this. You turn two white
men loose in a brown mans
country and they are as conspic-
uouS as two white beans in
bag OF brown ones. But A Jap
can roam the Philippines. Hawaii
or even California and he is apt
10 excite little more comment
than:
ooh, just another Jap"
You can't overemphaSlZe this
as | know through experience
e als Hs'sSroM
.sNe aren't suspicious enough
and while we are about n. We
might be suspicious Of some
parts Of the Philippine popula-
inn.-TheY- are far from being
tunited and what the JapS have
done there must have had in
terror help.
Consider the audaCious Japa-
neSe air flight over the Pacific
Coast AZ San Francisco II split.
one half went out 10 sea but the
other half went back South, The
former was apparently based on
A carrier, but how about the
latter?
There are parts of Lower
California as inaccessible as the
Sahara. japanese fishermen have
been coaSting those waters for
years. What goes on down there?
It's time for us 10 find out.
These things raise anew the
standing danger 10 the canal
Presumably We are doing all We
can do but If past events speak
truth, il isn't enough.
THERE is much talk about our
now forcing the man Japa-
neSe feet 70 fight ours and the
British in open water. Why
should they do that II their
feet is gone they are gone.
Their game is 10 play hide and
seek with the grand feet and
rely on ingenuity for the present
anyway.
Their problem ofSetting this
is Singapore. Hongkong has
fallen. IT, as seems likely, the
Philippines cant remain az a
serious threat, they must dis
pose Of Singapore II Will be
some diSpOSnG II the Allies can
concentrate enough air power
there. It would be folly for the
JapS 10 risk their fleet and prob
ably as great a folly 10 attempt
a concentration of man power.
Most Of the signs point 70 our
decision not 10 scatter our forces
no matter how pathetic the
cases may become as with Mac
Arthur in the Philippines,
That takes nerve and national
resolution and understanding.
but IL does not seem 10 me
that We are acquiring both and
that We are learning 10 fight
a modern gangSter war with
CanGSterS Just as our FBI had
10 learn every gangSter trick in
the book Of rules before it be-
came effective
For this strategy Of conServ-
ing forces the administration is
going 10 need every ounce of
strength that can be brought
10 It's aid. II is A CORY. heartleSs
business but so is war and we
are in war 10 our eyebrows
Distributed by Ring Feature. Synd, In'
Reproduction In whole or In part
strictly prohibited.