The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1942-12-10

is VI to our offioersl- These
troops were going 10 Iceland. one
Of thirty-cdd ends q the earth
where nearly : million Of our four
miilion-nan Army fgoing On .
500 .oool Is distributed.
On every continent our Army
has demonstrated that II has ons
Of the worlds finest air forces
Its heavy and medium bombers
are changing aerial tactics and
even strategy. making possible an
attack on German military targets.
including key cities. Of a day-and-
night accuracy that was beyond
the splendid r A. r. Its fighters
are showing superiority over
the Japanese Of from to 10 to 1.
and new types look good against
the Luftwaffe.
Our Nays aviation primarily
is responsible for turning back
the Japanese from Australia: late
ly its surface vessels have re-
trieved earlier shortcomings. But
more shakeups are likely The
Navy is paying for q publicity
policy that before Pearl Harbor
was too careless and since has
been too careful.
On December 7. 1e41 the Navy
was proclaiming itself "ready--in
both oceans" Today that claim
begins to be justified. 1t escorts
conveys safely over the Seven
Seas while sinking Japanese war
ships 50 sometimes three to
one-that their Pacific superior
ity is ending. We build about
three to their one. four times our
1871 production. scrapping all rec
ords. launching In one autumn
month twelve majos warships.
SUBS STILL THREATEN
Smaller warships lag, hence
submarines are still our most
serious danger. merchant shipping
our most serious lack. Yet
merchant ships are now launched
faster than sunk-six times as
fast as a year ago-sometimes in
less than five days. For Africa
we and the British found 500
which escorted by $50 warships.
got through virtually unscathed.
II our African expedition clears
the Mediterranean, shorter hauls
mean that there one ship will do
the work OF three, releasing more
for use against Japan. Already
her merchant ship losses are
worse than ours. Since Pearl
Harbor we have sunk a million
tons of hers; she can build only a
third Of that. And ships bringing
her staple rice soon viii be ex-
posed TO attack not only by our
better-commanded submarines but
by our better-flown airplanes,
land-based.
Jap WAR is "oURs"
Japan's standard-of-living pro-
duction is known, despite censor
ship, to have fallen too. She seri-
ously needs automobiles and ma
chine tools and her steel output
is 1900 900 tons against our 3D.
ooo. 900. Japan In not cracking up
vet = but her dishonest economy
shows preliminary cracks. Our
need to prevent her exploiting her
recent conquest helps explain the
risks we have taken in the Solo
mons.
Pearl Harbor meant that the
Ian war would be our war. Even
churchill recognizes that, saying
relatively little about Pacific
strategy. And increasiniy the
uitler war becomes our war.
American men. ships. planes and
friendship with the French made
nossible the second front In
Africa. while American men and
planes in Britain bring nearer q
third front IN France. other
| American men, planes and sup
plies, massed Increasingly In Per
sia and elsewhere in the Near
East "a help secure against attack
,ror, Greece the rear Of the Brit
isb pursuing Rommel, and also Sc
cures the Turks. whom this Amer
lean reinforcement is drawing
more openly into the United Ma
tons camp.
One year after Pearl Haroor'
American strength is making IL
self felt to the ends Of the eartn'
more decisively than seemed pos
.;ble. Another year VIII see our