Evening star., 1942-03-06
BY DEWITT MACKENZIE,

Ones first impulse is to avoid dis
cusSing the necessity of the British
bombing of the industrial suburbs of
Paris with heavy loss Of civilian life,
but such vital issues are involved
that it is best to face the matter
squarely.
Britain undoubtedly was impelled
by several reasons to undertake this
lnwelcome task, but the basic reason
is the one which we should seek
first. I believe We find this in the
grim but not sufficiently emphasized
fact that this world conflict is total
war" which means exactly what 1t
says-battle to a bloody finish.
Total war" Is a phase which slips
easily from thoughtless tongues and
from the mouths OF the orators with
golden tonsils. 1t has come to
have SO little meaning that we are
shocked and shaken when We see
it terribly examplifed-when We
have thrust on us the concrete evi-
dence that this is indeed a life
or death struggle"
In Judging whether such an ex-
treme measure is right or wrong, we
must force ourselves to understand
that, If this war runs on Indefinitely,
half of humanity will perish through
violence and disease and starvation.
And part of what Is left may f1nd
itself under the iron heel OF bond
age, as does unhappy France right
now.
Every Hour Priceless.
OF course, it's one thing to sit here
and write this. and it's another for
the Frenchman to adjust himself
to the idea of being bombed. We still
have to hear the voice Of the French
people as a whole in this matter, and
until we do hear it, speculation as
to what they will say is futile.
The British cabinet to my mind
started from the premise that this
is stark total war, with the lives not
only of countless millions but OF
many great nations involved. Most
certainly the council had before 1t
the urgent fact that the spring is
almost here, and with it will come
what may be the final Hitlerian
effort to crush the Allies.
We are almost face to face with
the crisis which likely will show
where the ultimate victory will lie.
Both sides are racing to reach the
highest pitch of armament before
the battle begins, and every hour
Is priceless.
Russians Appeals.
The war cabinet also had before 1t
reports showing that the huge Re-
nault factory outside Paris has been
turning out vast and steady streams
of tanks an dairplane engines for
the Germans to use in their spring
offensive. Other neighboring plants
have been producing war supplies
for the Nazi boss.
Maybe I'm over-fanciful, but I
seem to see British Prime Minister
Churchill reach over for document
on the old Victorian desk which has
served so many Prime Ministers at
No. 10 Downing street. That. I
should say, would be communica-
ton from Soviet Premier Stain.
Anyway, we know that Russia al
ready has launched its supreme
effort to annihilate Hitler, and Is
urging England to take all possible
action Immediately to support the
Red offensive. 1t is imperative that
German war production be impeded,
and Moscow has reported that new
tanks and airplane engines are ap-
pearing on the Russo German front
from French factories.
Unwelcome Task.
One can understand, then, why
the British War Council decided
those factories must be wiped out.
We can almost hear them argue
that they no longer can be content
with half measures because of SEN
timental or political reasons.
1t was an unwelcome task and
must have been undertaken with
the prayer that the French people
would understand. 1t is safe to
assume, however, that the council
must have decided that, should this
bombing be interpreted as an act