Evening star., 1942-12-27

arrangements, ana IN April the IN.
dians rejected the Cripps offer. This
was a matter Of great importance
to the United States, because the Indian
political problem was closely allied with
the prospects Of the war in the Orient,
President Roosevelt in April sent Col.
Louis johnson, former Undersecretary of
War, to India as his personal representa-
tive and later sent Henry Grady, former
Assistant Secretary Of State, to India to
make an economic survey of the region.
The intense ofncial concern over India
served to emphasize the new breadth of
political interest which the war has given
the United States. For many years In
die has beer T. sentimental problem for
American liberals Now the role of India
has become a factor in victory. In De-
cember President Roosevelt sent William
Phillips, former Undersecretary of State
and former Ambassador to Italy, to India
as his personal representative with the
rank of Ambassador.
In May, the war invaded every Amer1-
can household; sugar rationing began.
Women were invited into the Army as
Congress passed bill creating the
WAACS, Women's Army Auxiliary Corps,
and their training center was established
IN Des Moines. At first the strength was
fixed at 10000 Now this has been in
creased to a goal of 10000, which is to
be reached by the beginning Of 1914.
May brought the first sign that the Japs
had reached the limit of their advance
southwark in the Pacific, although the
news was not presented to the United
States until June. In May the United
States Fleet licked the Jap Navy in the
Coral Sea, where it was crossing toward
Australia. The aircraft carrier Lexington
went down, but since then the United
States has launched a new Lexington.
The Japs completed the major part
of the, Philippine campaign in May by
the capture of Corregidor. This is the
rocky fort island at the tip of Bataan
where the American Far Eastern forces
withdrew after the abandonment of Ba-
taan Maj. Gen. Jonathan Wainwright,
the commander In Bataan after the de-
partures OF Macarthur, was captured
with his men. Across the China Sea,
the Japs, taking advantage of the Burma
road closing, began big drive against
our Chinese Allies and took the port OF
Foochow.
In June the United States and our Al
lies began to flex their war muscles. The
British Raj brought together more than
1000 bombers at time and raided the
great German cities Of Cologne, Bremen
and Essen. Having stopped the Jap
southern advance in May, the United
States Navy now stopped the Jap east
ern advance by Furnishing the Jap feet
in the battle Of Midway United States
continental territory was invaded in
June for the frst time since the War
Of 1872, when the Japs occupied part of
the Aleutian Islands, Alaska. The Brit
ish reeled in Libya and Egypt, and the
United States wondered whether the
German and italian armies under the
command Of Marshal Erwin Rommel
would reach the suez Canal
July was an uncomfortable month.
Our enemies. enjoyed general successes.
In the Solomon Islands, which they cap
tured last February, the laps were busy
building an airneld On the island Of
0uadalcanal. and they were sending
big ships into the deep, sheltered an
chorase between Tllagi and Florida Is
lands. Rommel crept near the snez,
but the heat stopped him At last and he
established lire at El Alanein. The
Nazi armies In Russia cleared the way
for . crushing advance into the Cau-
casus and toward the volga BY taking
aevastopol, the CTiniSa stronghold
which withstood ! long siege.
In July, also, President Roosevelt took
step toward improving the strategical
machinery of this coant1y By. naming
Admiral Wtlliam p. Lealiy his personal
chief Of. stan. Leahyswas hast returned
from France, where he served As the
United stxtes Aznhesp On u yiehy. He
! had been chiat 1tt60s. Tn
cors of AnAeEican strategy making was