Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1942-11-16

Inc campaign IN NORTH africa gives
promise that in the near future,
somewhere on the continent of
Europe, the Allies will be able to
convert their long and costly defense
into large-scale offense.
This situation is far cry from
Axis plans of last June. A double
pronged drive, through Southern
Russia and Northern Africa, was
to hurl the Allies from the Mediter-
ranean and Near East. Japan was
to invade India, perhaps Siberia
also, and the conquerors of Orient
and Occident were to join hands in
Middle Asia. To all appearance that
grandiose scheme now lies in ruins
1t was wrecked by mounting armed
and industrial power In the Anglo
Saxon countries and by the heroism
of the Russian common soldier, who
learned the ultimate answer to Ger
man ferocity. 1t was, quite simply,
never to surrender
Offensive Is Halted.
Hitler's recent speeches and ia
pans failure to attack either India
or Siberia are interpreted in certain
high official quarters as indicating
that the offensive impetus of the
Axis has spent itself, and that in
1943 the new orders in Europe and
Asia will turn to migrating and
fortifying their conquests, leaving
to the Allies the formidable task
of dislodging them.
The other side of the world pic
ture is so tragic that even now its
significance has scarcely come home
to many. From "have-not" coun-
try, Japan has become master of
one of the worlds greatest and
wealthiest empires, including the
Philippines, the Netherlands East
Indies, Burma and Indo-China, in
addition to vast areas in China.
These regions are opulent in natural
resources, including most of the
rubber and tin in existence. After
centuries of overlordship, the white
man has vanished from the Far
East.
Stalingrads resistance to 80 days
of murderous siege has tended to
obscure Russia's loss of scores OF
millions of population in dead,
wounded and captives; of one-fifth
of her territory, two-fifths of her
industrial plant, half her most pro-
ductive sources of metals and coal
and the entire national granary Of
the Ukraine, the Don Valley and
the fields Of the Northern Caucasus.
During this period the United
States suffered the most ignoble hui
Mutations in national memory. For
the second successive year, Hitler
turned his back with disdain on the
American war effort, and committed
the bulk of his power, with virtual
immunity, to the destruction OF Rus
STA. Enemy submarines slaughtered
crews and ships within sight Of
the Atlantic shore. Pearl Harbor
was followed by Bataan and Cor
regidor, the agonies Of which the
country was compelled to watch
without lifting a finger to aid its
dying sons.
Allies Are Stronger.
On the strength of the best in
formation available there is offered
the following summary of the global
situation, with both its favorable
and unfavorable aspects:
Germany has only one first-rate
ally, Japan. The United States has
two, the British Commonwealth and
the Soviet Union. We have suffered
as yet no wounds that vitality hurt.
On the contrary, national sea, air,
military and industrial force is
steadily climbing. There has been
an undoubted abatement of enemy
power. At the hands of Russia the
Germans have suffered fearfully in
lives and equipment. Japan has ia
ken large losses If merchant ship
ping, and this may prove the factor
through which she eventually will be
defeated.
The capacity OF Japan's ship
yards was saturated" long before
Pearl HA1bor. At the outset of the
war all foreign vessels within reach
were confiscated. The biggest grab
was of French ships in Indo-C China.
In other words, on December Z
Japan was at its maximum In re-
spect to merchant boats, while out
put in the United States continues
to rise. Japan hasn't the plants and
machine tools for large-scale ex-
! pansion; we have.
American submarines are sinking
Japanese cargo and transport YES
sells faster than they can be re-
placed II the present rate Of at
/ triton persists, point may finally
be reached at which Toxic can no
longer support its far-fiung outposts
and will have to draw them back.
Japan's losses in warships and
planes have been larger than ours.
It's occupation Of outposts In the
Aleutians has cost more Japanese
than American vessels. There is a
marked disparity between the sink
ings Of enemy and American sub
marines. We have lost only q few
but have destroyed many German
and Japanese underseas boats.
Jap Course Explained.
The apparent hesitation Of Toxic
to launch a new front either IN ST.
IBERIA or India may be due to rec
ognition that Japan lacks the re-
sources to venture upon an added
large scale campaign. Perhaps they
are no longer in the mood, as they
were on December Z, to take on the
whole world" said one, high naval
officer, who added that this change
of mood, If it exists, may Be due to
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