Evening star., 1941-12-10
Report on the War

verted the Pacific into a fate1ul
battle-ground is a message which
should inspire confidence in the quail
ity of his leadership during this dark
hour of crisis.
His statement necessarily dealt
with situation unfavorable to us.
Our forces in the Pacific, at the very
outset of a difficult war, have been
dealt a heavy blow. That this was
the result of wholly treacherous
attack by Japan does not alter the
fact that the enemy has gained an
advantage, and at no time did the
President seek to give the people OF
this country a contrary impression.
But, having conceded that serious
military losses have been sustained
and that additional reverses are to
be expected, he turned confidently
and calmly to the brighter side OF
the picture-to the legitimate ex-
pectation of the ultimate victory that
can be ours provided the requisite
effort Is made.
Undoubtedly the Presidents audi
ence hoped for more specific infor-
nation concerning the fighting at
Hawaii. Many have friends or rela-
tives there whose fate is yet un-
known. For all of us, the question
of the precise losses sustained by the
fleet and the Army is one Of vital
concern. But when the President
says that his own lack Of complete
information and. the danger of d.
vulging facts helpful to the enemy
preclude a full statement at this
time, there is no alternative but to
wait until the story can be told. Mr..
Roosevelt has given assurance that
at the earliest possible date he will
make public all established facts that
can be disclosed without aiding the
enemy. More than that cannot be
asked now.
1t Is permissible, however, to draw
certain inferences from some things
the President did say, although it
should be made clear that they are
inferences and nothing more. rs
At one point he stated bluntly that,
so far, "the news has all been bad"
This language would seem to indicate
that the serious setback sustained
by our forces in Hawaii was not even
partially offset by substantial Japa-
nese losses. Presumably the reports
that number OF Japan's submarines
were sunk and that bombers inflicted
severe damage on Japanese cities
were incorrect. A telling counter
blow by the United States still lies in
the future.
Mr.. Roosevelt also made two other
statements which are related and
which seem to be significant. The
first was that the attack at Pearl
Harbor can be repeated at any one
Of many points in both oceans and
along both our coast lines and against
all the rest of the hemisphere. The
other was the comment that there is
no such thing as "impregnable de-
fense against powerful aggressors
who sneak up in the dark and strike
without warning" Without over
stressing the ominous implications of
these remarks, it seems reasonable
to conclude that the Japanese sue
cess at Pearl Harbor was not due en-
tirely to the fact that the blow was
struck at time when our forces be-
lieved the two nations were at peace.
And if this be the case, 1t follows
that the American people should be
prepared for the possibility that ia
pan may be able to strike other
powerful blows. Certainly the Presi-
dent was not indulging in idle
phrase making when he conceded
that the Pearl Harbor attack, despite
its treacherous character, was per
fectly timed and executed with great
skill"
Still another comment which
should not be overlooked was the
warning that the people of the United
States should be prepared for an
announcement that Guam, Wake and
Midway Islands have been seized by
the Japanese. Under conditions as
they now exist the loss of Midway
in particular would be a most serious
matter. If the japanese should sue
ceed in taking the island, that fact
alone would be unmistakably sig
nif1cant. And it would also pro-
foundly affect the strategic picture.
Midway, firmly held by the enemy,
would project Japan's striking power
more than $500 miles into the Pacific.
japanese bombers based on Midway
would be 1900 miles from Pearl Har-
Dor, and thus a constant threat to
our forces at Hawaii.
But these are the ominous infer
ences which may be drawn from the
Presidents statement. They do not
constitute the whole story. Even if
some or all of these darker possibili-
ties should come to pass, there still
remains a brighter side.
AS the President properly pointed
out, our present industrial capacity
for military production is great
largely because of the far-sighted
efforts we have been making in be-
half of other nations resisting