Evening star., 1942-08-19

house In Washington and set up
light housekeeping.
We haven't complete file of the
Japanese claims but a study Of even
a partial record reveals that they
modestly admit to having sunk, Grip
pied. or generally put out of COM
mission, more boats and planes than
we have ever had In the Pacific.
Until the Toxic liars got into action
the title of being the best all-around,
pentathlon, decathlon falsifler was
shared by Joseph Goebbels and Vir-
ginio Gayda, the mouthpieces OF
Hitler and Mussolini.
But they were shown up as arch
conservatives, men who weighed
every fact and figure before opening
their mouths, by the Japanese
propagandists. Where Goebbels and
Gayda are content to claim single
battleship, two cruisers and a de-
stroyer, the Japanese sit down to
their typewriters and annihilate en-
tire fleets.
Nothing that flies through the air
or sails on the seas is as deadly as
those typewriters in the japanese
War and Navy Offices. Without
bothering to shift into capital let
tiers they can fire a salvo OF COM
muniques guaranteed to sweep the
seas clear Of any and all enemy
vessels.
It would be interesting to hide
behind the kimono stand in the
Japanese War ONCE and listen to
the boys as they go about their
work in the morning. You probably
would hear something like this:
Chief of bureau: Men, we claimed
only SO vessels yesterday. What Is
the matter?
Chief clerk: 50 sorry, sir, but
the mimeograph machine got stuck
just when we were getting ready
to sink an ahplane carrier, two
transports and three cruisers.
Second clerk: 1t won't happen
again, sir.
Chief: See that it doesn't happen
again. Also, I'd like to find out
who around here Is responsible for
putting out the information that
one of our boats was slightly dam
aged. Remember, get this straight:
Nothing bad ever happens to one Of
our boats.
Third clerk: What American boats
shall we sink today, sir?
Chief: Figure that out for your
self. suggest that each man take
a copy Of James Fighting Ships and
pick out two or three boats with
names that strike his fancy, and
sink them.
Another clerk: We have done that
already, sir, and there are no more
boats left. We have sunk them all.
Chief, Oh, no we haven't. What
about the rowboats in Central Park
In New York. They are still intact,
aren't they? And what about those
property boats in Hollywood Let
them have a salvo.
II the Japanese people believe
these communiques they must
marvel at the tenacity and courage
of the American fighting men. With
no boats left, they still managed to
beat the daylights out of the Jap-
anese fleet in the Coral Sea and al
Midway. With nothing left but Me-
preservers they managed to stcRn1
the Solomon Islands. without
benefit OF battleships, cruisers, de.
stroyers, carriers or transports, they
still found way to carry the battla
to the enemy on the Aleutians Uns
less the Japanese propagandista
ease up a bit on their success
stories, the japanese public is
likely to become convinced that its
army and navy are up against a
super race, and become disheart-
ened.
The honesty of the United Ma
tions' military communiques offers
sound proof of the difference In the
mettle and temper of the nations
fighting this war. The Axis ma
tions, despite the fact that the ad-
vantage has rested with them since
they started, still don't dare to tell
the truth about even the smallest
setback. The United Nations,
whose people have had almost moth
ing but straight rights to the jaw.
still demand the truth.
They know they won't buckle, and
50 do their leaders.
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