Evening star., 1942-05-03


Washington facing short rations of
gasoline and sugar has no scarcity of
armchair" strategists and diplomatists.
They are now the center of attack by
their professional brethren, especially
when they happen to disagree with the
military and diplomatic policies of the
Government.
Ofhcials in the State, War and Navy
Department have tendency to regard
their jobs as rites, which must be kept
hidden from the view of uninitiated lay
men. In pre-war days when they were
questioned as to why certain diplomatic
negotiations were not exposed to public
view, they replied by likening the deal
ings of the United States Government
to those of business corporations
When large companies discuss an i'm
portant merger or other big transaction,
they pointed out, stockholders are not
informed until everything is ready for
signature. The leaders, having the con-
fldence of the people who had bought
the companys stock because it was prof
liable, obtain stockholders approval after
agreement has been reached. Prema-
ture disclosure of negotiations might
give rivals or irresponsible hotheads an
opportunity to spoil the deal
What rs wrong with this analogy?
Simply that corporate relations cannot
be ikened to relations between sovereign
states. The results of secret diplomacy
are now only too clear.
Military Veil Is Heavier.
The Army and Navy work behind a
similar but much heavier, veil of Sc
crecy. But theirs has more justification,
for strategy is more nearly science than
diplomacy. 1t is not for the layman, it
is contended, to decide what military
and naval movements should be made
in order to win the war
This argument is not wholly sound,
however, for, strange as it seems, two
civilians-Prime Minister Churchill and
President Roosevelt-determine the fun
damental strategy of the United Nations.
They decide between themselves where
the principal fighting is to be done, and
1t is up to professional soldiers and sail
ors to work out the details.
The unoficial strategists and diplo-
matists-who. though outside the. Gov
ernment service, may be highly quail
fled by training and experience to Judge
maintain that both diplomacy and up
to point, military strategy are not
secret rites, but matters of common
sense. Outsiders conversant with world
problems can have better understand
ing of those problems, in many instances,
than can specialists, who frequently lose
themselves in a maze of detail and ir-
relevant considerations.
In support of their contention, the
private diplomatists can point out that
their professional colleagues lived for
years in world of make believe, never
gauging the true intentions of the dicta-
tors. They could not see the forest for
the trees, and relied on official state
ments prepared specifically to deceive
them and overlooked the clear evidence
Of what the dictators aimed to achieve.
Japan Typical Example.
Japan was typical example. Many
so-called armchair" diplomatists were
shouting long before Pearl Harbor about
the danger from Japan and urged the
Government to stop supplying the Nip
ponese with the gasoline, oil and other
war materials which now are used
against us. They were told to hold their
tongues and not jeopardize the excellent
work being done by the professionals.
When some Senators and journalists de-
manded that this country cut off supplies
of gasoline and steel going to Japan
they were warned against trying to get
the country into war with Japan.
Senator Gillette Of Iowa, who intended
10 introduce a resolution aimed at stop
ping this criminal flow of war mate
rial to Japan, was told that he would be
rocking the ship Of state" II he did so.
Also when, in October, 1941, Gen Hideki
TOTO became Prime Minister, replacing
the more amenable Prince Konoye, news
papermen expressed their concern at the
change, but drew the scorn of policy
trainers who explained to them in con-
fidence that TOTO was only window
dressing for the peace loving Konoye,
and that his taking over the premier
ship would give the latter better chance
to work behind the scenes for an under