The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1942-04-04

nave come any
way, even II Macarthur had been
kept at his original post, but with
tlghtened blockade now In effect
the possibilities Of relief ore Just
that much more remote.
The reasons for getting Mac
Arthur out OF the Philippines were
two. First, he was the best general
and the logical choice for supreme
command In the southwest Pacific
Second, the civilian morale Of the
Australians and the Americans.
the common people back home -
had TO be bucked up. II was done
by giving them o hero.
The question arises as to whether
the first, which was more important
could have been done without the
second, Whether Macarthur could
have assumed command In Austria
lia without giving out the word I'd
the world. Probably not, II was too
good and too big q secret 10 keep
HOW DID
ENEMY REACT?
The question must be weighed
too, for effect on the Japanese. II
would take on eide rstatesman with
lifelong knowledge Of the ways OF
the mysterious East and an insight
into oriental psychology TO figure
this one out. For your own Satisfac-
ton are the Japs set back worse by
the knowledge that Macarthur Is IN
Australia, than they would DO by
the belief that he was still the
strong man holding them up In the
Philippines
All such questions are posers, but
they are the stuff this psychological
warfare Is waged with, and the ail-
ateur psychologists In this country
are almost as numerous % the arm
chair generals and the flreside adj
mIrals.
Where this subject really touches
home Is In determining Just how
we'll the American civilian popula-
ton can go through O war without
having Its morale bueked up every
80 often by some shot In the arm
like an announcement OF MacAr-
thurs escape from the Philippines.
Can the American people at home
back UP the armed forces without
knowing everything the Army Is do
ing and why7 without knowing
where Is the fleet2" Without know
Ing NIL the facts and figures about
how many airplanes and tanks were
made last month"; without know
Ing how many troops are In Ire
land or Iceland or Egypt or Alaska
or Australian
GIVE-AWAYS
ARE LOSERS
A prlze-fighter who telegraphs his
punches--tells his opponent where
he Is going 10 try TO hit next--is apt
TO be knocked out In the first
round. A fighter who can feint, con-
ceal his strategy, deliver the unex-
peeted sock on the jaW-there Is the
fighter who Is the knockee instead
OF the knoeked-out at the end Of
the fight.
In over-simple parallel, that Is
the rea8on for the military secret.
There Is apparently one segment
of the American public which feels
that the military secret Is an at
tempt on the part OF the Army
bright stars and the Navy broad
stripes TO cover up something
wrong The people who think this
are the ones who feel they should
have every contemplated punch OF
the general staff wired right home
to them for their own information
Just a8 soon as the decision OF the
high command Is made.
Before this mans war Is over,
lot OF would-be know-it-alls Will
have TO reconcile themselves TO do
Ing their issgned bits and getting
along without having their morale
stimulated by full knowledge OF
every move Macarthur makes. This
may be censorship, but 1t isn't de-
nying anyone's constitutional rights
Germany and Japan don't telegraph
their punches. Why should wep