Evening star., 1942-12-21

life ime has David Lawrence.
been spent in studying not merely
the fighting side but what it takes
to supply a modern army, navy and
air force.
Judging by the comments of the
man on the street, the vast space
across North Africa is dwarfed by
the impression given by maps
printed on a small scale and yet at
no time in the World War and not
anywhere except in Africa in this
war have any such distances or
supply problems been encountered
Even in Russia there are railroads
and motor roads for mechanized
equipment which are not found in
Africa.
Distance is likewise underesti-
mated by the man on the street
when the operations of our Navy
in the Pacific are appraised. Never
In world history has any Navy been
compelled to fight a major war
against an enemy 10000 miles away
from ones own mainland.
The problems of supply in the
Pacific are so tremendous and the
amount OF equipment which has
been allocated with which to do the
lob there Is so woefully inadequate
that unless change is effected it
may be assumed the United States
may be fighting for many years be-
fore victory is won.
Two Courses Considered.
There are, of course. two ways by
which this war can be ended-by
internal collapse from within the
enemy country or by military
triumph.
The first Of these presents most
|discouraging aspect because on our
side there is still a neglect of
psychological warfare and a failure
to reach the hearts of enemy popu-
lations by such sincere expressions
Of purpose as will bring conviction
to them. The psychological front
is in discouraging status also be-
cause enemy countries still do not
think America will make the pro-
digious effort required of her to as
sure military victory.
The second pramise~-winning by
military procedure alone-is not
fully understood. When the head
lines tell of spectacular expedi-
|tion in Africa or of a victory be-
tween a squadron of cruisers in the
Pacific, the American public as
sumes that a war which is actually
being won at snail's pace is actually
moving in tempo which can bring
victory in a year or thereabouts.
The truth is hard to impart be-
cause the public lacks the basic
knowledge needed to understand the
huge distances and supply problems
involved. A diSservice, incidentally.
has been done by the extreme ad-
vocates of victory through air pow
er. alone. They have been we'll
|intentioned but they have overlooked
the fact that while we have planes
In Africa we do not have the gaso-
line or the troops with sufficient
artillery and tanks to capture the
air fields from which those planes
must be flown.
Airpower is the greatest vital
force added 70 modern warfare, but
alone 1t Is apparently powerless to
disable the battleship Tirpitz and
the cruisers Genisenau and Scharn-
horst and powerless also to bomb
out OF existence the submarine bases
from which enemy submarines are
exacting a toll so high that neither
Britain nor America ventures to tell
how severe the losses happen to be.
Britain Critized Here.
The extremists in Britain who be-
Neve In air power have had their
way for many months, being given
our bombers at the expense of air
mower In the South Pacific, where
it can really be of great help to our
thousands Of boys there, but the
territory gained by airpower in
Europe is still theoretical and the
effect Of the bombings on the morale
Of the enemy peoples Is still ques-
uonable.
Britain Is beginning to suffer here
n Washington as a consequence
Of an insistencs on a large share
Of our aircraft production than she
has been able to use toward an
effective result. Britain's navy has
been criticized for not being able to
keep German submarines from leav-
Ing their bases to come clear across
the Atlantic to wreak havoc on our
shipping.
Britain is being criticized for many
things here, but many Of the critics
do not realize that Britain is fatigued
and has fewer resources than Ger
many or America. Do the American
people realize that the burden of
the war must fall on the American
Army, Navy and Air Force and that
help In the Pacific In our war with
Japan is not going to come from
Britain?
This question may be asked be-
cause it is apparent that whoever
makes our broad policies is assum-
ing that Japan can be taken care
of after Hitler is beaten, little think
ing perhaps that the job m the
Pacific will take three to Ave years
longer if mistakes in attitude are not
soon corrected. Can Macarthur and
EAdmiral Halsey need more ships,
more planes and more supplies to
carry on major war.
Are they getting these or is too
much being concentrated In Amer