Montana oil and mining journal., 1942-03-28
THE BURDEN is NOW
UPON THE SHOULDERS
OF UNITED STATES

In a recent issue, Life spoke of America.
chronic and catastrophe campIacency" Thai
memorable phrase accurately illustrates what
has been wrong with this country. We wers
told that we could lick the japanese in a
matter of weeks, and we believed IL. We were
told that the potential enemy was short OF
raw materials and natural resources and 50
was incapable Of an extended offensive, and
we believed that too. We were told that the
oceans were, in effect, Qualifications which
were certain to protect our shores in any
extremity, and we also believed that. And
so the inevitable happened. We and our
government terribly underestimated the ma
teriaI strength and striking power Of the
foe. We thought In terms of national de-
fense" instead Of in terms Of "war." We
turned our faces away from the unpleasant
facts and dreamed happy dreams of victory.
Only lately have the American people and
their government come to realize how hard
1t will be to win this war-h0w much work
we must do II we are to escape the fate Of
France and the other subjugated countries,
which the c0nquerOrs are literally using as
slave markets.
1t does not serve the national interest to
minimize the disasters which have befaIIen
months, Japan has attained mastery Of the
Pacific and is moving on Australia. She may
turn at any minute on India, which is pop
ulated with 29 percent Of the entire worlds
manpower; is rich in resources of many
kinds and Is torn with internal dissension.
Some authorities expect that Hitler may soon
attempt to drive across the Middle East. If
that drive were successful he would make
would be in position to destroy vital United
Nations communication lines. 1t Is clear that
the Vichy government p0ssessOr Of large
fleet is coming closer and closer to aII-Out
collaboration" with the Nazis There is a
distinct possibility that the Axis may gain
preponderance of the worlds resources, hu-
man and material alike. In short, the whole
picture of the world has changed fatefuIly
since Dec. Z.
There can be no question but what Japan
and her partners counted heavily on that
Catastrophe cOmplacency" Of which Life
spoke. And so, the job of this country and
the other United Nations is simply that of
revOlutionizing our outlook toward war-and
Of producing and shipping the instruments
Of war necessary to make such a revolution
possible. Every military operation based on
defensive strategy has faiIed-and failed
with terrible losses Of men and equipment
and key positions. If we are to win, the war
must be carried to the enemy, and carried
to him at the earliest possible time.
We could attack Japans concentrated in
dustrial areas from Alaskan or Chinese
bases-h we had enough planes of the right
kind. We could crack her IOng-extended sup
ply line-f we had sufficient equipment at
the right place These and similar 'ifs" are
tOday's great bOttIenecks to the waging of
successful war. They are not simply indus
trial problems. They are problems which
were largely created by inefficiency In gov
ernment and by work stOppage on the part
Of labor groups.
Production Chief Donald Nelson has called
for an immensely extended effort all along
the producing line. If that effort is made
il means that there must be an end to bick-
ering between rival unions, and an end to
wOrk-weeks which were fought for and
achieved In an era whose end began when
Hitler became chancellor of the Reich. There
must be an end to waste, delay and red tape
in the government We have no time or
energy for reform for reforms sake. Those
are the cold facts.
The American people clearly have choice.
They will work harder than they ever worked
in their ives-Or they will lose a war whose
loss can have no other conclusion but the
death of freedom everywhere. None of the
nations which are united with us in this
epic struggle have the production capacity
to turn the scales The tools Of war will
come from us, and In ever-increasing guam
tity-Or they win not come at all
The loss of the oil fields of. the Dutch
East Indies means that the United States
must supply all the oil for the war in the
Pacific. We must supply the bulk of the
hips, the tanks, the planes, the guns the
heIIs and the bullets. And we must supply
hem now, not in years to come. "ToO little
90 late" should be dropped from the aIibis
n future engagements.