Evening star., 1941-11-24
Muneuvers
ShowArmy
Progress
More Weapons and
Supplies Declared
Needed, However
By COL. FREDERICK PALMER

By COL. FREDERICK PALMER,
Military Expert of North American News.
paper Alliance.
Through ewes which have been
watching our Army maneuvers IN
the Carolinas I look abroad to the
British drive in North Africa.
Marshal Henri Philippe Petain IN
his wise at Vichy, the campaign in
Russia, and past Hawaii across the
Western Pacific to the Indian Ocean.
Our Navy is the same Navy in
spirit and quality as Of old and on
the way to be better than in World
War I in more than quantity. But
what of our new Army on home
grounds as compared with that OF
our divisions which had no team
work before they were in France
under Gen. John J. Pershins, as
sisted by the cruel teacher of the
bullet and shell in place of blank
charges?
The best way to put the conclusion
is In this fashion. Suppose the Army
we had in the Carolinas was ex-
banded to a million men of the same
character and in the same state OF
training. Suppose, after they had
digested the lessons learned in the
maneuvers, they had further maneu-
vers. and meanwhile they had been
supplied with sufficient up-to-date
weapons.
Then suppo,e our Navy should re-
main politely to one side. and all our
air forces on our island bases should
be grounded. Suppose we should
have the shipping to supply the Ger
mans with transport. which they
lack, to land an army of a million
men. on our coast while We main.
tanned mastery of the air for homo
| defense.
More Equipment Needed.
| We would retain all the surviving
personnel Of that German army as
prisoners, and We would have lot
of scrap steel in the wreckage OF
/ German tanks.
That is, we would. provided our
soldiers did not have TO stop the
enemy projectiles with their flesh.
We would, provided we did have, at
the present stage of training, gun
in a tank destroyer force for every
enemy tank, and something like
enough of the latest types of planes
for the graduate course of our pi-
lots. And what applies in the Caro-
lima maneuvers applied in the
Louisiana Arkansas maneuvers.
This time We started with the right
system for making an integrated
Army for cohesive mass action.
The Army is out of the bush league
into the minor league of efficiency.
But 1t cannot qualify for a major
league status with wheelspokes for
bats. Further refining processes are
also essential in finding the best
leaders from platoon to corps COM
mand.
Preponderantly. our war material
of all kinds is going to Britain, to
Iran, Singapore and Russia out on
the line of defense beyond our Navy
which prevents the Germans from
crossing the water to get at us.
Our Army has time for prepara-
ton. unless We suddenly undertake
another A. E. F. with insufficient
weapons and training in their use.
The obvious and stated object Of
the British North African drive,
which has large numbers Of our
tanks and planes, is to clear the
short Mediterranean route for aid
to Russia instead Of the long route
around Africa.
Aim to Expel Italians.
The high aim is not only to drive
the Italians out of Africa but to
take French Northwest Africa and
expand British control over all
Africa
Renewed pressure for an A. E. F.
to aid the British in West Africa
becomes inevitable. Consequently
the outlook abroad from the view
point Of the maneuvers is addressed
to those dreamers who seem to think
that tanks, when you have them, can
fly just like planes, and soldiers
walk on water.
Across the Western Mediter-
ranean from Northwest Africa old
Marshal Petain. who had the force
and arms to clinch his they shall
not pass" at Verdun. has not enough
now to prevent two German Army
divisions overrunning unoccupiec
France. knowledge that the Brit.
ish North African drive was coming
hastened the tightening Of Adolf
Hitler's grip on the old marshal
who is warned to accept what Is
offered or he will get something
worse
1t is not known whether French
naval construction has continued
under German orders since the fal
of France, but the extant French
Navy should at least include bat
tleship, aircraft carrier, 8 cruisers
40 destroyers and so submarines
which would be useful to the Axis
in fighting British control of the
Mediterranean route.
Gateway TO Caucasus.
In the Russian campaign thu
Germans report the capture o.
Rostov as a balance for the British
relief of Tobruk. Rostov is mor'
than the so-called gateway OF thu
Caucasus" Two hundred and 81
miles beyond Rostov is the VolgS
River and the head of the Caspian
Sea. The race is one between th'