Evening star., 1942-06-21
Second Front Chances Increase
AS Result of Pacific Sea Battles
Allies Realize Germany Must Be Pu1verized to
Establish European Peace, Even Though
Task Will Be Difficult and Bloody
Bv Constantine BrOwn.

An Allied offensive somewhere III
Europe" during 1912, such a remote pos
sibility few weeks ago, looms now as
a strong probability, chiefly as the result
of the losses inflicted on the japanese
Navy.
Realistic naval strategists agree that
although Japan's back has not been
broken, her offensive power, intended to
threaten the. very shores Of the United
States, undoubtedly has been greatly
diminished Outside of operations close
to her air bases and occasional raids, 1t
is doubtful she will risk anything.
That the European battle, into which
we shall have to pour hundreds OF thou
sands of men and thousands of planes,
will be long and bloody appears evident
to all those who do not indulge in idle
dreams.
Nazi Germany continues to be strong.
1t has millions of trained men and ample
supplies of both raw and finished war
material. While itsis probable the ma
tions morale is no longer as good as it
was, say, year ago, neither our propa-
ganda campaign nor air raids have af-
fected it much.
Nazi War Plants Still Produce.
British air raids over the industrial
areas have not made much of an i'm
preston on Nazi production. Hitler and
his cohorts were thinking of just such
a possibility long before the outbreak
of the war, when the Nazis believed the
French might build gigantic air force
to strike the Reich. Nazi industrial
power was decentralized and the various
small centers--usually placed in wooded
regions-were connected with one an
other and with the potential fronts by
wide highways. Thus raid damage to
railways is not of such great Importance
as it might have been.
There is no question there are many
Germans-even among 100 per cent
Nazis-who would like to find way to
end the war before Germany is invaded.
But, short of an imperfect peace which
we could not accept because of the like
lihood of another war in less than
generation, it is questionable whether
the Germans would be prepared to lay
down their arms.
The German nation ought to know by
now that its pleas-flrst made in 1913
that the war was the fault of its leaders,
cannot be accepted in 1912. Hitler came
to power through regular election. Even
at the time when he was scoffed at by
most people. when he had against him
the whole political machine of the Ger
man Republic headed by the highly re-
speeted war hero, Field Marshal Paul Won
Hindenburg, he obtained AZ per cent of
the votes at the polls. The fact of the
matter is that throughout the centuries
the German race has been eXpansionist
and warlike, and it seems nothing can
change it.
Germany Must Be Pulverized.
The people in Germany know by now
that they can expect no quarter from us
or any one else. Even if we were in
clined to be compassionate after Hitlers
empire crumbles, the European nations
trampled with harshnesS unknown even
in the Dark Ages will never agree to let
bygones be bygones and forget the cruel
ties of the Gestapo. the S. S. corps and
the rest of the Nazi terror organization
which follows the conquering army The
fact that the Nazi regime is one based
on terror among its own people as well
as among the subject peoples does not
mean that the Germans, who have sup
ported that regime with varying degrees
of enthusiasm, are not responsible along
with the founders and organizers of the
Nazi system.
1t is Genital to bear these facts in
mind when we take stock of the Euro
pean situation and hear those wishful
thinkers who tell us that Nazi morale
that is to say German morales break
ing. The German people realize that
they must preserve their morale to the
end, because defeat of the Reich will
mean not merely Furnishing the German
leaders, who are the chief culprits in this
war, but the whole German nation. which
will have to be pulverized if some sort
of peace is to be established in Europe.
Hence, our military leaders, who think
in terms of carrying the war to Europe,
are convinced that the resistance of
the enemy is going to be fierce and
desperate. They are also convinced that
nothing short of an invasion, not only