Evening star., 1942-07-07

Fl the Associated Press.
Shelled and machine eunned a
dozen times In the Libyan Desert,
Senator Lodge, Republican, Of Mas
sachusetts was back in the Senate
today asserting there" can be no
peace without power"
The 40-year-old Junior Senator
from Massachusetts,, who has been
on an Army tour of duty since
February 1S here and overseas, re-
turned to the Capitol dressed in the
khaki of a major in the armored
forces.
First Senator to see active Army
service since the Civil War, he was
sent to the desert war theater to
gain combat experience and make
observations which he has reported
in full to the general staff since
his return last week end. He said
that after conferences with Armored
Force Board chiefs at Fort Knox,
KY, he plans to call secret meet
ing of the Senate Military Affairs
Committee, of which he is. a mem
ber, to lay before it detailed In
formation gained in tibya.
) He was with American tank units
which participated in knockdown
fight with the Germans and emerged
unl1armed. For this exploit he
claimed little credit, saying that 1t
was the resourcefulness and courage
of the American boys which counted.
u. S. Army Methods Called Sound.
From all his observations, both in
training here and under battle con-
ditions In .Libya, he gained the i'm
spTession that American Army meth-
ods were eeding salong so'1nd
lines"
II think" he said, that we are
meeting the challenge Of new meth
ods Of warfare. In Libya it is essen
TALLY q mobile war. Terrain as such
has no value. 1tsis just 9 platform
upon which 10 4eht."
He SAID he HID concluded, too,
that I'VE must keep Up with Our
preparedness program. even after
the war. We must never allow our
armed might to slump as we did
before. The United States must
continue powerful. Only in this way
can we guarantee just and last
ing peace -.
Weighing 20 pounds less than
| when he few to the fighting zone
and tired from his experiences, he
said he could not think of politics
for a while. A candidate for re-
election, he asserted that he had
laid no campaign plans.
This is no year for politics OF
for a personal, selfish campaign,
| he told reporter. Il am interested
| in a lot of things right here which
hope will contribute toward win
ming the war"
Aboard Bombed Train.
Senator Lodge got, his flrst TASTE
OF warfare the day he arrived II
Libya and boarded a cattle trair
for the front.
German warplanes screamed ovel
the train, dropping their cargo o.
bombs. Luckily, there were no hits
and he found safety by SCATTERING
with the rest into desert holes.
Later, while he was stationed att
rail head, German planes made an
other visit.
"It Just felt as though all hel
had broken loose" he said, describ
ing this experience There wer
about a dozen casualties In tn
assault.
The raiders came again the FOL
. lowing night-swarms OF plane
flying by moonlight.
"I always thought Of moonligh
as a lovely thing" he said. "bu
in war it is horrible" n thes
actions and those which followe
he emerged unscathed.
Often Under Fire.
Later. he was often under she
fire, and several times close enoug
, to the German lines to study enem
equipment.
! There were tremendous sane
! storms, too, he said, so thick ths
2 it was always necessary to trav
even short distances by compass
: The Senator described EdWal
Kennedy, Associated Press war CO..
n respondent whose story of the Lii
van tank battle is published toda
as zone of the most capable new
papermen in the Middle East bait
q zone" He added that Mr.. Ker
{ nedy is highly regarded in milital
: circles there and has gained rep,
II tation for wide knowledge of col
ditions.
q "That's what makes him a got
:. newspaperman," commented Il
IS Senator, a former newspaperms