Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-04-14


Libya should have been started
weeks before if the NaZi war
machine was still clicking AT it's
oldtime pace. His preparations
were not we'll concealed and
Jagged behind former Hitler
tempo.
Now he has only about six
weeks left before Sweltering
desert heat joins the side of the
British defenders of the Near
East.
The Russians have lately
picked up some German prison.
erS with no more than five or
six weeks training. 1t is MUIR
der 10 send men with no more
experience into battle, even TO
fill out depleted units, as is app
parcntly being done,
Certainly the German general
staff would not be using them
anywhere if manpower was not
a pressing problems.
TlIE best balanced estimate
Il here of Hitler'S losses TO
date, mostly in Russia, is 1.750.-
600 killed and about the same
number severely wounded This
would mean around 100000
NaZiS out of action.
These are the best trained
German troops specialized
shock troops, sappers, engineers.
parachutiStS tthe flower Of the
German army as Berlin would
call it,.
They cannot be replaced. They
were especially selected for
their superior talents and phySi-
cal stamina.
How far the Germans have
been pinched is attested by the
fact that they are filling up
their losses on the south Russian
front with Balkan soldiers.
Several OF their mechanical
units have been reorganized into
infantry because equipment was
not available for them.
These heartening suggestions
have bolstered hopes for the
Russian cause, but not beyond
the line set forth in this column
yesterday.
MR.. ROOSEVELT has OBJ
NI viouSly been trying to keep
out Of the British-India negotia-
tons, but at the same time has
sent TO Delhi his former assist
ant secretary Of war, Louis
Johnson
The subtlety of this move may
have escaped appreciation among
us here at home. but il was
designed TO inform the Indians
that Mr. Roosevelt. AS far AS h,
could automatically go. SYM
pathized with their longing for
independence.
Johnson went there more or
less to underwrite by his pres
enCe the promise of the British
for postwar dominion status.
He did not mix in Indian affairs,
Of course, but the British prom
iSed India dominion status once
before, in 1916, and then for
got il.
johnson. standing in the back
ground. was to serve AS a guar
antee that when the war is over.
the United States would see 10
II that India would get what
Grips tried 10 promise.
For this reason. news Of the
rejection of the Grips offer by
the Congress party and the Mos
lem League was especially hard
TO take here.
4 HARSHER system for post
"A war America than any yet
suggested by Mr. Roosevelt's
national planning commission is
offered in preliminary form now
by Stuart Chase, who sometimes
in the past has been prophet
Of economic policies Of the gov
eminent.
In a book. out today, called
"The Road We Are Travelling"
published by the Twentieth Cen
fury fund foreword by Assist
ant State Secretary Adolph
Berle), Chase carries the vague
postwar outlines Of the planning
board several steps further. He
adapts Mr.. Roosevelts promise
Of four freedoms 10 a new kind
of an economic system.
The road we are travelling. he
says. is leading 10 control Of in
dustry by government without
ownership of industry by gov
eminent.
A MONG the vast blank spaces
"A in Mr.. Chase's reasoning is
the question Of who will have or
want the ownership Of any bust
ness under such system II the
government is going 10 run all
business. management will he
reduced 70 the status Of an ON
ploye Of the government, Just
like labor. If government is
going to control everything else
in business. it will have 10 con-
troll profits
Any political machine able 10
fix business profits in this coun-
Try as well as wages ought 10
he able 10 elect itself indefin-
itely and establish Fascist
system in perpetuity-or until
the money runs out.
And II IT fixes pretty good
profits. there is going 10 he lot
Of Scrambling among the poll