Evening star., 1941-12-31

troops IN the
field are being David Lawrence.
defeated and when American re-
Inducements by air or sea are SEEM
ingly not in evidence.
The one thing that the Roosevelt
Churchill conferences unquestion-
ably settled was that this war would
be fought by carefully planned
strategy and not by public emotion
or clamor for particular set of
reprisals or offensive moves.
What is even more difficult is to
explain the kind of strategy that
makes defeats inevitable. Thus the
British population was never pre-
pared for the reverses that came in
Greece or Crete, yet the high COM
mand knew all along that this was
but a delaying action and that its
effect in messing up Hitler's time
table was worth the sacrifice.
Consider Risks at Manila.
Today the Philippines are at stake
Whether they can or cannot hold
out. the question which has been
uppermost for several days is how
much reinforcements to divert or to
risk when there are other strategic
considerations. 1t already has been
announced that no amount of Jap
anese rumor fabrication would
tempt the American authorities to
disclose where the American Fleet
was operating. 1t might also be
inferred that the risks involved in
ar. around Manila today are not to
be taken unless they conform to a
general plan for attacking the jap
anese feet and supply lines.
The length of time that the
Philippines will hold out may have
an essential bearing on future
strategy. AS the japanese increase
their activities on the islands they
will find 1t necessary to increase
supplies to their troops and this will
mean harassment for their trans
ports and the possible destruction
of some of their protecting naval
units.
For many years the question of |
whether the Philippines could be |
defended has been de-
bated again and again among mill |
tary men. Until the advent of the
air bomber the preponderance of
opinion was against the possibility
OF holding the islands. The custom
airy comment has been that the
defending operations in the Philip
pines would be related to the factor
of time in mobilizing the American
Fleet. But today the essentials Of
strategy call for a different ap-
proach.
The Dutch East Indies are the
real prize. Once Japan gets the
natural resources in those islands.
she can continue the war for
long. long time. A better defense
for the long run future can be set
up from the East Indies than from
the Philippines.
Also, the combined naval and
aerial strength of the Allied side in
wolves the Dutch and British as
well as the American units. Then
there is the further opportunity for
cooper alton from Chinese bases.
To work northward from the East
Indies may become better and
more effective way to wage the war
than to concentrate now on the
Philippine theater or on sporadic
bombings of Japanese cities.
Concerted Action Necessary.
The American people have had
their confidence in the military
somewhat disturbed by the unfortu-
nate Hawaiian episode but defense
against treachery is never certain
and the way the Army and Navy
have reacted to the Pearl Harbor
tragedy is something of which
America can we'll be proud. The
morale of both services is a hun
dred per cent better than before
December 7 and the main difficulty
now is making everybody under
stand that wars are not won by
stunts or by spasmodic offensives
but by concerted action carefully
planned and efficiently executed.
The British high command with
stood severe criticism for a long
time and demands for another front
were made when Russia was at
tackled by the Nazis but all the time
the British were preparing for what
has proved a successful campaign
In Libya. This success has had
material effect on Hitler's planning
and may in the end be the begin
ming of the collapse of Italy as
Hitler's ally.
The Russians want our help in
tanks and planes so they can keep
on smashing away on the European
front. To weaken and exhaust Hit
ler's armies is an essential part
of the grand strategy of the Allies.
To be diverted by extensive opera
tions in the Philippines with ships
and men and tanks would seem at
the moment to be at variance with
the drive toward the major objec-
tives. The British people have
shown they can take defeats. and
the American people will have to
do likewise. For it is not the tenn
porary gains but final and unquali-
fed victory which counts.
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