Evening star., 1942-10-25
Predictions Of Early Victory
For Allies Aid Axis Propaganda
u. S. Held Not Ready to Strike at Foe on All
Fronts Although Gigantic Preparations
Have Been Made in 10 Months
By Constantine Brovu

never, since the fau OF France In 1910,
have heavier clouds gathered over the
United Nations.
We are receiving setbacks on all fronts
despite the many optimistic speeches of
the multitude of morale boosting agen-
cies. This need not be interpreted that
we are losing the war. Losses are some
times necessary to win victories and they
serve a useful though tragic purpose if
they succeed in waking us out of a COM
placency and assurance that we cannot
be defeated.
But it would be playing into the hands
OF the enemy-who so far is ahead of us
In his military preparations-to believe
that either the Nazis or the Japs are
crumbling because of hunger and lack of
raw materials. German Propaganda
Minister Goebbels himself is attempt
ing to create this impression, knowing
full well that the chief enemy of the
Axis-the United States-is so gullible
and easily impressed by favorable news
that he may mistake wishful thinking
for facts.
We are doing just what the enemy
desires when we talk about the war end
ing in few months or when we have
long debates and discussions throughout
the country about the new pattern of
the world which assumedly we will i'm
pose in the strife ridden countries.
There is, of course, no harm done when
some woolly-haired, starry-eyed ideolo-
gists who rightly or wrongly are classi-
ned 4-F by their draft boards, attempt
to cut the pattern of the world at peace
in their offices in Washington. 1t is all
right to have some program for the post
war world, but 1T is close to tragedy when
these purely theoretical plans filter out
to the masses of the people and lead
them to believe we are winning the war
when we are not.
The craftsmen for the postwar world
do not forecast immediate triumph in so
many words, but because they publicize
and discuss their ideas at great length,
they create SNUG feeling that victory
Is just around the corner. And the
country at large, while not exactly mis-
informed about developments on the
many fronts, is certainly not we'll in
formed as to the Allies progress.
Many Underrate Japanese.
Many officials in Washington and
many people all ever the, country are
guilty of miniIAizing the Japanese. Of
flcially and unofficlally We have been
told that, after. all 1.-the Japs were not
much good, and as soon as we polish off
Hitler by supporting Russia, we will turn
toward the Japs and make mincemeat
out of them in short order. The three
battles we have foutht against the jap
anese-Coral Sea-, Midway and the first
Solomons engagement-have tended to
confirm the views of some of the civil
ians In the administration. This op-
timism has been contagious and the
Nation took it for granted that the Japs
were fundamentally negligible foe.
OF course, not even today have we
learned OF the losses suffered in the first
phase Of the Solomons campaign. Mill
tary reasons prevent revelation of our
losses while a campaign is being fought
and this is right and reasonable But
there must be other reasons which pre-
vent the casualty lists from being given
other than local publicity. 1t is reason
able to assume that if they were re-
leased in the manner of the last war-or
as the Canadian lists were announced
after the Dieppe raid-the country
might realize what an overwhelming
problem we are faced with in the Pacific.
Our forces still are dispersed all over
the world, and our strategy still seems
to be based on the words of our COM
mander in chief that we must defeat the
enemy wherever we find him. But so
far we have been able to do little de-
feating, not because our men and their
commanders are weak, but because we
have always had too little and have been
too late on most Of the fronts where we
have been engaged
This is logical. We are not supermen.
We have performed miracles" Of prepa-
ration in the last 10 months of war.
But do not get the impression that we
are In position to engage our enemies
on all fronts. Our troops and ships are
being rushed to every sector: to England,
Ireland, Equatorial Africa, Egypt, India