Evening star., 1942-07-19
Need Grows Daily for Unified
Command of Allied Forces
Roosevelt Held Most Likely to Succeed as Grand
Strategst; Political Demands Now
Hamper Military Efforts
Bv Constantine Br0scn.

in Great Britain today. There may he
some wartime genius developing among
the Younger men, but he has not shown
himself yet. The commanders produced
by the British Empire up to now have
been excellent men for specific jobs deal
ing with local situations, but they nave
all bungled badly on grand strategy,
which in fact is non existent in Britain.
Lack of preparation at the outset OF
the war in 1889 is partly the cause OF
this situation Eut even three years
later. when the production of Great
Britain and the United States together
should have made good the Deficiencies
of 1880 the British still have not pro-
duccd a modern wellington or Nelson
If the British high command is weak,
the Russian high command is mystery.
We hear very great deal about Marshal
Semeon Timoshenko as the Soviet
Unions outstanding military leader.
But the question which arises in many
military minds is whether Marshal Timo-
shenko is a great soldier or whether his
past successes were due to the heroism,
self denial and power of resistance of
his men rather than to his military
ability.
A Good Local Commander.
In the light of what has happened in
the last three weeks his last offensive
before Kharkov was anything but bril-
liant. At his best Marshal Ti.noshenko
is probably like Gen. Sir Archibald P.
Wavell and Gen. Sir Claude J. E. Auch-
inleck in the British Army, merely good
local commander.
Soviet Premier Stain has none Of the
worries of either President Roosevelt or
Prime Minister Churchill. His only
problem at this time is how to check the
Nazis until America and Britain become
strong enough to help him. defeat Hitler.
Stain has little concern over what is
happening anywhere except on the Rus
sian front. His grand strategy does not
cover the whole globe, but only part of
it-Russia Hence, there can be no
question of Stain or any of his generals
taking the leadership in formulating
grand strategy for the United Nations,
The United States has so far produced
more outstanding generals and admirals
than any of the other members of the
anti-AXis bloc Our military and naval
leaders have not yet been able to show
their mettle fully, because we have been
in the war only a short time and be-
cause we entered the struggle made
quately prepared for the immense job
ahead. But Cen Douglas Macarthur
and 1t. Gen. Jonathan Wainwright, al
though defeated in the Philippines,
proved themselves to be not only courage
GUS fighters but frst-class strategists.
In the Navy men like Vice Admiral
William F.. Halsey and Vice Admiral
Frank J. Fletcher have shown that
even with an inferior force they not
only can hold their own but can
defeat a numerically superior fleet.
The strategy of the battle Of the
Coral Sea was drawn up by Admiral
Ernest J. King and Admiral Chester
w. Nimitz. Both men have shown
that they have the necessary imag-
ination and military conception to aid
President Roosevelt in the major task
which may fall on him-to devise the
| grand lines Oh Jne 1uture DdtIleS VI
the United Nations forces.
Leahy to Become Adviser.
BY the end of the month another man
! will be added as the principal military
and naval adviser of the Commander
in Chief of the armed forces of the
! United States-Rear Admiral William
! D. Leahy, former chief of naval opera
tions and until recently Ambassador
| to Vichy.
Admiral Leahy's principal advantage
| as chief of staff to the President is
that he has both feet squarely on the
ground and does not know what it Is
to yes" his superior. He speaks his
mind fearlessly Foreseeing the pres.
ent confagration several years ago, he
made a special study of Allied AND
| Axis forces and their commanders. He
knows that military adventures prompt
ed only by political considerations are
bound to be failures.
There is no doubt that from the
political angle it was essential for MI
Churchill to send forces to Norway
| tSee BROWN page R-3)