Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-10-08
Washington
Discards It's
Pessinism
eubiic Goaded Enough,
Roosevelt Decides
BY PAUL MALLON

WASHINGTON Oct. S.-A lofty
w military authority mot Mr..
ROOSEVELT has written a per-
sonal letter 10 some senators
taking a much more optimistic
view Of the American war
position than has been expressed
publicly by officials in speeches.
This letter contests specifically
the view set forth by 1t, Gen.
Brehon Somervell. in his st.
Louis speech, that we are losing
the war. General Somervells
exact words were:
THE war has gone none too
well. So far, we've lost nearly
every major struggle. IL we
continue to lose little while
longer. II will he too late to save
ourselves, America and civiliza-
ton"
The letter presents a change
of official emphasis, along the
line suggested by Mr.. Roosevelt,
after his trip, when he stepped
down hard on all his SUBJ
officials who have said the war
is being lost.
4 LTHOUGH the p r esi d m I
"a named no names. among the
eminent toes that must have felt
the crunch, aside from Somer-
Wells. were those of Navy
Secretary Knox, various as
sistant secretaries. and. / be-
lieve, even the right-hand man,
Harry Hopkins.
Up to now officials have tend
ed TO blacken up the dark side of
every picture publicly, for the
ostcnSible purpose Of goading
the people 10 greater effort. Mr..
Roosevelts tour seems. to have
convinced him that line is no
longer necessary or desirable, IL
II ever was.
When you look AZ il right side
up, the strictly military picture
is by no means dismal. We have
suffered major setbacks, few
successes. true. But we have
been in a period of preparation.
We were not ready at the
start. We were caught off guard.
We had one-ocean navy and
no army.
Now we have an army in the
final stages of preparation for
attack. Our navy is still intact,
after initial losses, and ahead is
the prospect that our naval
building will put us eventually
on a two-oCean status.
The next 10 months will tell
the tale in this war. not the
last 10.
THE Stain and Willkie state
Il ments have brought second
front" TO the fore again. Any
efforts by commentators or mill
tary analysts 10 ferret out their
true meanings or intentions can
only be considered personal spec
ulation.
The Russians land Willkie)
gave the situation its only new
recent turn. by implying that the
timidity of British and American
military officials is responsible
for the' delay.
If that is a sincerely held
Russian opinion. the kremlin is
less crafty in its diplomacy this
time than ever before. cannot
remember another diplomatic
occasion when it proceeded to-
ward its purpose so straightfor-
wardly.
0NTffE other hand if II Is an
~ attempt TO deceive Hitler
and TO conceal the imminence Of
a blow by us, il is cleverly in
line with usual Red diplomatic
tactics.
The actual situation on sec
ond front is plain 10 all II is to
our advantage 10 strike as soon
as possible. and has been for the
past 10 months. Even before
that. it was To the advantage of
the British 10 strike.
! do not know why the British
did not strike. / confidently as
sumo il was because they were
not ready. because otherwise
they must be considered fools.
| assume the same thing has
been holding us up. After all.
we have been in this war only 10
months.
OF one thing we can still be
positive:
The second front should not
be instituted a moment before
our generals think they can win
il. When we go in, we must be
sure we will stay in and 60 on.
Any thought of sacrificing
livcs and materiel. just TO create
a temporary diversion for the
Reds would do neither the Reds
nor us any lasting good.
The Red cause can win this
war now, only if our second
front effort succeeds. and only
when il succeeds. Stain and
Willkie must know that.
HITLER S speech betrayed no
IL fear of a second front. On
the contrary. he practically an
nounced his future war inten-
tons.
He said he would switch 10
l. -, Dnertn eOAn