Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-01-08
Boast Less,
Get Results,
Chiefs Told
People Begin 10 Look
for Actual Results
BY HUGH ). JOHNSON

BY HUGH :. JOHNSON
NOR what it was intended an
L inSpiratlonal appeal and an
expression of logged determine
ton the Presidents speech on
the state of the union was excel
lent
Most people expected a little
more than that some idea of
our present military and naval
situation, at least the general
principles of our new world
strategy and a little more about
actual progress in equipping our
troops with modern arms.
The only thing said not clearly
evident for some time had to do
with a determination 10 Send
not only our navy and air force
but also our army 10 fight any
where in the world where the
high command may decide they
are needed,
The time 10 debate that de-
ciSlon has long passed We have
made the President clearly re-
SpOnSiblc for the conduct of
our nation through war 10 vic
tory He should no more be
limited in the exercise OF
our war powers where such
question as strategy IS involved
than should the commander OF
a field army in contact with the
enemy.
IT IS hard 10 sec why wc
Il should send army troops 70
Great Britain when there are
50 many other areas too >CanlllS
manned and armed and when
the British are believed 10 have.
built mp a stronger army than
our own But that too, Is not
debatablc We must assume the
utmost discretion IN our COM
mander-ln-chloi as long as he
occupies that position
RccitalS of WSt how many
planes. guns ships and tanks
We are going 10 produce within
a given time arc confusing and
almost meaningless when read
from a long list with only the
most gcncralzed description of
types
Also boasts Of what any man
* gonna do are not half SO
convincing as statements OF
what ne has already actually
done There has been too much
tall talk and small performance
Pcrhaps the Presidents rccita.
ton went as far into detail as
j, vas wise 10 60 Il was M
least frank M acknowledging
defeats and in not minimizing
burdens and hard>hIps yet 20
come.
These our people have been
told about 10 rcpIeuon but have
50 far suffered little. They have
not complained. ON the pro-
grams LAID down they arc gong
10 ieel some OF th'in very DIT
terry ana tha' Time Is ONLY
lew weeks ava
EVEN men ! ,hlhh lh'N WI
not complain u uneN are SNOW snow u
why lndlNIaudI >aS' II'ge> 'll''lIlr
Soil'e, uIl no. ','' a., = u, ) .a,,
anu IL ''',H or a -, -. ''. ~ ~ a.,
~ ~ l'.al'' , 'o,,' '''a' - a., ~,
,''.'-,'N 10 -, .''' -, ,' ~ -,
,'pI anu Gu .''3 ~. -, 80 80 ,,c
g ~"r '''0 D. ava 900
SON
uNruc ,.,,,,rh be. mo, bren
Joro cucb an instance a
NJ, H., nrsdlon, ON ratior
~. .,,a,c.,. an tho contrar,
rh1, fT@.o tbino, can be done
u'.,b iit,lo ,tpdl ar cop,idcra-
,ion ~ ,n., d,n,cult nroblcm Of
c,,,lian sunni,
cnr,o nnhI,(iste o,srIool, this
no,rt cn,ircly and oven 90 so
f,r ~ ~ cav mat thosc do
nr,yation, tbouoh nerhaps not
ncccssar, a, Tho moment bclo
hu,ld mn reserves ON The one
hand and tcnd 10 anger orr
nconle IN 6ohtinF nttcb ON
Tho other something like pok-
mo mn capo-n,lI ri vildcats
with "A pTOngcd sharp stick
II * not good strategy for
public morale If later on n IS
OIL
cations wore unnecessary II
VIII DC very nuCn worse lot