The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1942-01-24

m Ia Yes. perhaps
Secretary Knox he was correct.
Nevertheless,
t was hardly to have been expect
ed that, in pooh-poohing Japan, his
judgment would be okayed with
much unanimity by the Chinese,
the Filipinos, the British at Singa-
pee. the East Indian Dutch, the
Australians and New Zealanders.
or even by our own west coastal
folk or by Latin Americans on the
Pacific slope. from the Mexican
line on down to the southerly tip
Of Chile.
It wasn't so okay by EN-, either.
Their reactions to that speech of
Franks have been coming into
Washington ever since he adj
dressed the mayors. and If any of
'em have Endorsed his view, l
haven't heard 'em, but there are
plenty to the opposite effect.
That the Italians are ready to
quit on the first good excuse is
quite generally agreed. Not only
Frank says so, but so do the Brit
ish. Signor Mussolini doesn't rate
as a serious worry. It's the con-
census that licking the Fuehrer
will lick Benito and his Fascists.
too. Frank Knox could have made
that statement without starting
much of a controversy.
Two Methods
He might also have said that
perhaps there are two ways Of
disposing of Adolf - by trouncing
him and his Nazis into surrender
or by making things so miserable
for the generality Of Germans that
, they themselves will abolish him,
with no necessity for further mas
sage from the outside.
The most appalling stories leak
out from the Reich concerning the
horrors OF the NaZi campaign in
Russia. Being shots comparative
ly merciful, according to these ac-
counts, but after a German is
wounded, it's related, he usually
dies from the cold; he's better off
II shot dead, kerplunk, escaping
subsequent hideous suffering from
frost, until, at length. it finishes
him, by degrees
Furthermore, he doesn't have to
be shot to freeze-his face and
hands and feet. up to his hips, it's
said. On an average he isn't
warmly clad. and frostbite calls
for just the right medication,
which il seems the Germans aren't
provided with, or. as the victim
begins to thaw, he also begins to
putrefy.
There are tales OF stretcher
bearers falling down in swoons,
from the awful odor exuded by the
frozen but still living Germans
they're trying TO bring in. OF
course, there cant but be amputa-
tons galore.
I'm no competent guesser If this
shouldn't be exceedingly democrat
izing to a lighting forces morale,
and to the morale Of its folk back
home, as arrivals are delivered
there. TO have frozen noses and
ears and hands and legs chopped
Almost Of EN-, doubtless, pres
emily to die, anyway
So there's a certain amount of
hopefulness that Herr Hitler's
nearing the end Of his string, mean
inL the end of Signor Mussolinis
also.
But how about Japan?
It's been an obvious mistake 70
consider the Japs as German pup
pets. They took advantage Of the
Occident's preoccupation with its
own troubles to launch their Asiat-
ic and southwesterly Pacific cam
paign, but they did 1t independent
ly. and their geographical advan-
tage is very material.
Japan May Keep On
Even assuming Germanys and
Italy's elimination, they're liable to
be able to keep up a tresomely
long war.
They're so far of that they'll be
more difficult than Germany and a
To- more difficult than Italy to
overrun. And they haven't got a
mere Hitler or Mussolini to extin-
guish they've got a whole military
class, running into millions In
personnel. to be exterminated-and
it's a crazer fighting class than all
the Nazis, Fascists and Falangists
combined.
Italians aren't particularly sui
cidal. Germans are somewhat so
but nothing to compare with the
Japanese Samurai. Those boys
would Just as soon commit hari.
kari as eat ChOp-suey