The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1942-05-01

I'm assuming
that this lads anxious TO specialize
on wartime activity, Just as q West
Point or Annapolis student does on
operations OF the particular service
he's hoping to graduate into.
Air enthusiasts are clamoring
that their arm is Just as much en-
titled 70 a big central university as
the Army and Navy are, respec-
lively.
Such experts as Major Alexander
De Seversky and Charley Lind
bergh, now in charge of Henry
Ford's aviatorial productivity, have
spoken for IL. In fact, they've hol-
Tered. The majors more vocal than
Charley, who never does say much,
but he's on record
According to military cloudsmen
the generality Of folk simply
haven't yet realized what aviation
will do shortly TO the art or science
OF business of up-to-date warfare.
Army and Navy professionals are
included in the generality. Indeed,
growl the cloudlanders, the surface
scrappers are rather super-unwill-
ing to recognize that they're due
10 be outclassed soon by flying
development.
How Fighting Progressed
The guess is ventured that war
riors Of yore were similarly slow at
sensing the imminence Of change
in details of their occupations re-
quirements.
Originally fists presumably were
relied on, perhaps with biting
and scratching as auxiliary tactics.
Presently clubs were introduced;
then the chucking Of missiles
pieces Of rock and such stuff. Next
the clubs were sharpened into
swords and sings were devised TO
give added impetus to the hurting,
as in the case Of David and Goliath.
Spears started TO figure,
II was pretty short-range work,
nevertheless. William of Normandy
evolved the longbow and, with it,
whaled the tar out Of the shorter
range English at Hastings.
Yet, even then, troops couldn't
be transported from front to front
at as lively a pace as commanders
desired, so Genghis Khan invented
cavalry and what he did to Europe
with EN- was a-plenty.
neutrality-suspicious.!
If anybody. at that stage Of the
game, had suggested the creation
OF government department on
gunpowder as warfare essential,
I'll gamble that he'd have been
rated as recommending as useless
an outnt as Lowell Mellett's once
Of Government Reports is adver-
tised today.
Look at it, though, as Of the mo-
ments writing.
There are forecasters who believe
that aviation will decide the pend
ing war, maybe more 100-percent-
edly than land and sea forces.
Foreign Minister Jan Masaryk Of
the exiled Czechoslovakian govern
ment is one Of EN-. JAMS surmise
is that the recent aerial raid over
Nippon will dispose Of the Axis
permanently.
Japs Are Learning
His contention is that the Nips
thought they were safe. not having
been directly smashed at. Now they
know better. for the raid on EN- is
adequately verified Their military
class is suicidal crew, but their
rank and file are referred TO ~
Jan Masaryk as exceptionally good
cutters. Besides, he remarks, they
will have to keep their planes at
home. for defensive purposes. in
stead Of shooting EN- abroad, for
bombings Of places like Pearl Har-
Dor.
Let Japan blow up, and JAMS
prediction is that Italyll follow
over night.
Conquered Europe will rebel al
the first opportunity, Jan fore
casts
Premier Franco Of Spain, hither-
70 a pro-Axisite. certainly won't
want to come IN al any such juno
ture.
Minus Italy and Japan, and with
Spain gone fiooey, and with all the
Balkans and the Low Countries,
probably. on the rampage, Jan an
ticipates a German outbreak of
anti-Hitlerism.
And. Of course, there still will be
the United States. Britain and
China and Russia remaining for
Adolf to be dealt with.
Some prognosticators speak Of a
probable four or hve-year pro-
longation Of the muss. Jan Mas
aryk hints at a hzzllng out Of II
quite Unexpectedly. The Germans.
he observes. are not last-ditchers-
as witness the last war.