Evening star., 1942-02-15
Time and Distance Work
Against America
By ODen L. Scott.

| ever since this war started-how to di-
vide up this country's war materials and
| its military and naval forces among a big
group Of hard-pressed Allies.
The Dutch In the East Indies are in
desperate need OF planes, pilots and
| ground crews, as well as Of naval forces.
| Their needs are greater than American
ability to supply them right now, The
British In Malaga were in even more
desperate need Of the same things, and
the Chinese are threatened with the loss
Of their supply lifeline through Burma
and have urgent requirements. Australia
sees the Japanese coming rapidly her
way and wants everything she can get
just as quickly as possible.
But every weapon that goes to the Far
East means one fewer for the Russians,
who are angry because promised deliv-
cries by this country are not being full
filled. The British in the Middle East
are clamoring for more materials with
which to stop the Germans who again
threaten to strike at the Alexandria
naval base and at the Suez Canal. And
England at home still wants men and
materials to get set for what its mill
tary leaders still expect in the form of
an attempted invasion. Yet, II guns,
tanks and planes go to all of these peo-
Piles, the American Army and Navy must
continue to skimp along on short military
rations.
Out Of this situation has grown an
argument Of the greatest intensity. That
argument has been important, and 1t has
given rise to many hard feelings.
Now. however, Japan Is somewhat SIM
pnfying the issues involved.
For one thing, there no longer is any
prospect Of sending important naval help
to the Far East, particularly to the
Southwest Pacific above Australia. The
reason is that Japan now has air bases
from which it can render unusable the
only naval bases in that area. For an
other thing, the Japanese in the weeks
just ahead will complete their conquest
as far south as Australia or they will be
stopped, in which case there will be time
to start counterattack.
It Is no secret to the Japanese that
ships carrying planes, equipment. am
munition and men from the United
States require two months or more to
reach the Dutch stronghold in Java.
There simply isn't anything that can be
done in a great hurry to stop Japans
drive of conquest in that area. Either
she will be stopped by the men and ma
terials on hand, and by the few REIN
forcements that can reach the scene, or
she will break through the barrier of the
Indies and be next door to Australia.
If Japan is stopped or checked soon,
there will be an answer to the question
Of where American men and materials
will be heavily concentrated. They then
will pour across the Pacific and around
Africa to the Far Eastern battle-ground
out Japan first.
If Japan is not stopped or checked
soon, the answer to the same question
will be somewhat different. Then men
and materials will have to be concen-
trated heavily in the Middle East to try
to prevent Hitler from breaking out Of
the blockade in that area to make a
juncture with Japan either in India or
the Indian Ocean. Also, an effort then
must be made to prevent Japan from
gaining foothold or the Australian con-
tinent at Darwin, where base is being
developed. Australias great difficulty in
the event the Dutch Indies 60, however.
will derive from the fact that she draws
nearly all Of her oil from those islands.
In Japans hands, the oil wells of that
area would be closed to the Australians
and their industries would be crippled.
AS result, events, not arguments, will
go far to answer the problem that grows
from dividing up the still rather meager
American supplies Of war materials.
This country and Great Britain are
operating under 9 great handicap In the
present war. That handicap grows from
the fact that the Germans and the
Japanese control the initiative. They got
head start in arms production and had
the foresight to see the possibilities in
the use OF the airplane while the mill
tary and naval leaders Of the United
States and Great Britain dozed content
edly.
Now, when there is fighting to be done,
the needed weapons are not at hand.
Likewise. with the initiative in their
hands, the Germans and japanese are
striking in 50 many directions and so
rapidly that the British and Americans
must divide up their few weapons to try
to stop the enemy at some point On
top OF that Is the further great element
OF distance. To send men and materials
to the Middle East around Africa requires
at least so days or nearly two months.
A supply line of that length is ex-
tremely difficult to maintain. Yet to
send men and materials to the South
Pacific takes even longer. Bombers, Of
course, can fly in much less time, but
there must be supplies and large num-
bers of men to maintain the bombers.
Fighting planes must be carried by ships
in the Pacific.
All of the above goes far to explain
the discouraging course taken by the
new war during its first two months.
In the case of England, supplies and
men are arriving from the United States
in large volume. The British were first
to place contracts in this country and
were the original benefactors of lend
lease so that they are getting the lions
share of materials. They claim that
these war materials are needed because
of continued threat of invasion.
In the case of Russia, supplies were
promised in fairly large volume. The