Evening star., 1942-05-31

Berlin believe, VIII ledQ chronic OpJlnlSJS
to relax even further in the belief that
the Axis is on the run. In this way
Berlin hopes to stupefy the American
people into refraining from sacrifices
which would win the war for the Allies.
The German propaganda machine is
as efficient as the Nazi Army. The ef-
forts of our equivalent organizations
and we have many of them in Washing
ton-are childlike compared with those
of our enemies For many weeks we
have bitten on Nazi bait and publicized
rumors put out by Berlin in order to
create an optimistic feeling in the coun-
try. Only last week President Roosevelt
warned us against such pitfalls.
Our chief handicap in the present Sit
uation is the lack of co-ordinated mill
tary strategy. That is to say, we plan
our military and naval operations not
strictly according to war strategy alone,
but with mixture of political and emo
tional considerations.
Fighting on Too Many Fronts.
Not all American forces are ready for
actual combat. The bulk is still in the
training stage. Yet it appears from our
military movements of the last few weeks
and from the official statements of re-
sponsible authorities that we consider
the whole world our battlefront. This
will be sound strategy only when our
entire manpower is modified, our fac
tories are working 100 per cent efficiently
and we do not have TO worry over the
lack of certain essential raw materials.
1t is not proper to go into details OF
actual fighting strength of our naval,
military and air forces. But it is per-
missible to talk about the strength OF
other nations to illustrate what appears
to so many as a fallacious strategy when
forces are being sent across the Atlantic,
presumably for an invasion of Europe
or Africa For the time being we have
an A. E. F. in Ireland, but President
Roosevelt himself has said that more
men will be sent abroad, presumably in
the same direction.
We have a two-front war on our hands.
In the Pacific we must save Australia at
any price. The Japanese have strong
force and it will require unstinting effort
on our part to prevent them from either
invading that continent or interrupting
our lines of communication with Austria
LA.
Ground for Serious Concern.
No country. even those which prepare
for war for many years, can fight sue
cessfully on two fronts. The Russians
have been preparing for an international
conf1agration for at least IL years They
have worked hard. getting their men
ready and their factories in shape 1t
is estimated that when war broke out
the U. S. S. r. disposed of at least
100000 fully trained and equipped men.
They lacked neither planes, tanks nor
artillery
The reason for this is not that they
intend to come to terms with the Jap
anese, as is whispered in Nazi-inspired
quarters. Joseph Stain knows full well,
as does every one else, that a Russo
Japanese showdown is inevitable. But
the Russian high command is aware that
a fight on a second front would almost
certainly spell disaster for the Soviet
armies.
The same thing applies to Germany.
The Nazis have forces in France, Africa
and the Balkans ready to jump wherever
the high command may decide that it
can find good opportunity for victory.
But since 1899, when Poland was in
vaded, the German general staff has
avoided fighting on two fronts. The
reason given in American military quar-
ters for Hitler's attack on Russia in
June. l941, is that by such a surprise
assault Hitler and his marshals hoped
to avoid the formation, later, of a sec
ond front.
1t is disclosing no military secret to
say that neither numerically nor from
the standpoint of equipment is our Army
equal to either the Nazi or the Rus
sian. Yet. from all indications, our pres
ent strategy is to fight on two, or even
three, fronts. For this reason there are
serious misgivings as to future develop
ments at all these points.
No one in Washington is worried about
the long-term future. But developments
within the next few months do give
ground for serious concern.