Evening star., 1941-11-02
Lindbergh Advice on War Held
Contrary to Military History
Nation Which Never Takes initiative Will
Lose in the End, Maj. Eliot Declares

cannot go on replacing losses IN
material in machines and weapons
and munitions, from the resources
of Europe. on the scale which is
possible to those who command far
greater resources, that Germany
must inevitably grow weaker. while
her opponents grow stronger. He
does not seem to understand the
effect of all this on morale: The
morale. the will to fight. of the Ger
man people, and of their Captives
who already are stirring restlessly
under the German yoke.
Two Methods of Attack.
He does not seem to know that
there are two methods Of attacking
country, just as there are OF at
tacklng a fortress: Assault and
blockade. He apparently has never
heard that in the history of sieges
great and small. these methods are
usually combined, that the weak
nesses produced by blockade are ex-
plotted by assault, delivered when
the time and circumstances favor
success.
Indeed, Mr.. Lindberghs military
theories seem to rest on ill-informed
reflections of his own, rather than
on any examination or study of mil
tary history.
He speaks of air power as a de-
fenslve weapon against assault. but
he does not appear conscious of its
worth as an offensive weapon. He
does not dwell upon the effect of a
rising scale of air bombardment
against Germany as Anglo -Ameri-
can production rises to heights
which Germany can never hope to
equal. He does not see that these
bombing fleets. striking at the inte-
rior communications and manufac-
turing facilities of Germany. are
actually an extension of the strang-
ulatlon of sea- blockade, and that
they must inevitably produce
progressive weakening Of German
financing power until its battle
potential relative to that of Ger
many's opponents, has sunk so low
that assault becomes practicable
providing the German will to fight
lasts so long as to make it neces-
sary.
Perhaps his gravest error is that
which. in other way and under other
circumstances. has been made by
SO many commentators on military
affairs since the close of the last
war. The Lindbergh military theory
is just another version of the cult
of the defensive, which brought
France to ruin. which almost did
the same for Britain. and which is
capable of doing likewise for Ameri-
ca if its precepts continue to DOM
mate our policies, foreign and mill
tary.
Advice Is Attacked.
Make America so strong that no
one will dare attack us" Mr.. Lind
bergh advises. but never take the
initiative, never hit first. A boxer or
football team which accepted that
advice would never win fame: a
nation which accepts it will, in the
end, succumb to enemies better ad-
viSed
We are not now faced with the
conditions to which we have be-
come accustomed, of European and
Asiatic balances of power under
which the tide of international
struggle may sway back and forth,
but which never permit of strong
Old World concentrations against
American objectives. We are rather
faced with the probability that
unless we intervene to prevent it.
one power will become supreme in
Europe and another in Asia, and
that the two may well combine
| thereafter against the only remain
ing citadel of freedom in the United
| States
| We can fight extensively now, and
hope to win; we can fight defen-
sively later, with far less hope The