Evening star., 1942-08-02

American admirAls and generals, on
whom in the last analysis rests the task
Of defeating the Axis, are anxious these
days, not so much because of bad reports
from Russia, which only add to the fur
rows in their brows, as because of the
growing popular demand for an imme-
diate second front.
Public manifestations have occurred
IN London in favor of an invasion of
France or the Low Countries and there
is press campaign, paced by powerful
editorials in the United States Presi-
dent Roosevelt, Prime Minister Churchill
and the general staffs of America and
britain are as anxious as the public to
rescue the hard-pressed Russians, and
if there were one chance in ten of doing
SO, American and British soldiers would
already be fighting in France, Belgium
and the Netherlands.
The Allied high command is accused
on the basis of past performances-of
always being too late with too little 1t
is accused of repeating the faults of the
British and French, who, with their
armies numbering millions, spent their
morale and energy in waiting behind the
Maginot Line in 1899 and early 1910.
Our own admirals and generals are like
wise accused-not publicly yet, however,
of relying too much on the Atlantic as
our Maginot Line and of looking on the
disaster which impends in Russia, if we
do not actively intervene, just as the
Gorts and the Gamelins of 1899 looked
on the battlefields of Poland.
Admiral William D. Leahy, President
Roosevelt's chief of staff Admiral Ernest
j. King, commander in chief of the
United States Fleet, and Gen. George C.
Marshall, the Army chief of staff, are
not trying to carve inches for themselves
in history. They are professional mill
tary men who want to do all they can
to win this conflict regardless of how
they are treated by posterity.
Must Completely Defeat Axis. ..s
They believe, as does every one else,
that the war can be won only by the
utter defeat of Germany and at this
moment are planning operations which
will bring about that result. But they
do not believe victory can be obtained
this year or next or that we have much
chance of changing the fate of Russia
by throwing armed forces into Western
Europe at this time. Such an attack
would mean mere waste of excellent
soldiers and valuable war material
Despite our setbacks at Pearl Harbor
and In the Philippines, Americas pres-.
tige remains high all over Europe. This
is true not only to the Nazi-occupied
territories, but in Germany and Italy as
well. There is feeling IN all those
countries that when the Axis comes up
against American forces repetition Of
1918 is inevitable.
To launch a major campaign in the
face of 80 per cent chances of defeat
would mean, in the opinion OF the high
command, jeopardizing the chance of
ultimate victory Major commando
raids-fiea bites-might be undertaken,
but the considered view Of most profess
sional men is that a great offensive in
Europe now would only delay final VIC
tory, even if we did manage to gain
some initial advantages.
Professional soldiers and sailors are
bound to look at this war from the strict
" military point of view. To laymen
this point of view is somewhat obscured
because the newspapers and radio broad
casters necessarily are inclined to ex-
aggerate any little success the United
Nations obtained.
An example of this occurred in June
when the Raj made spectacular raids
over Germany with 1000 or more planes
on different occasions. 1t seemed that
this was the beginning Of the great show
and the implication was that Germany's
war industries were seriously crippled.
No such major raid has been undertaken
since that time. The Hamburg raid last
week was on somewhat smaller scale
than either that at Cologne or Essen
The reason the Raj has refrained
from such vast undertakings at this time,
when the bulk of the Nazi air force is
operating in Russia. is not that losses
have been abnormal Not more than
124 planes were lost at Cologne and Es-
sen But each raid across the Rhine
cost the Raj about a million gallons
OF high octane gas, which is difncult
to get in Britain because of the short