The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1942-01-10

81 dGO l4laS VIC
will have mean time doing IL
II stands TO reason that wars
hard 10 wage at transpacitic range.
If the Japs would be accommo-
dating to come half way across TO
fght US, 1t would be fairer, but no
body's so optimistic as 10 imagine
that they'll DO it. Oh. yes. they
aviatorially bombed Hawaii and
they may even snoop up on our
west coastal mainland with an air
craft carrier or two or some sub
marines. but no hopes are eX-
pressed that they'll risk d SUI
fic.ent force in our neighborhood
to be any serious less to EN-. Wen
simply have to cross to their side
OF the ocean TO attend to them.
whereas the area Of operations viii
exactly suit their convenience.
No, forecast our strategists. they
won't attempt any formidable Of
fensive on our west coast from the
Canada lire southwark. but they
may take swipe at Alaska.
AIaska's Advantage
Alaska has its offensive stand
point from our angle. too, though.
It's so far from Washington. Ore
gon or any California port to west
ern Pacific waters that the voyage
thence is an Internal nuisance, but
the hop from the Alaskan Aleutian
Islands TO the northern END OF the
Mikaoo's archipelago Is a mere
trifle. Planes could negotiate Il
s-kiting and Jaoan. with its kin
dling-wood architecture. should be
an ideal country for a good bomb
ing. Air raiding Jap civiliandon1
mightn't have any great direct
military value, but il could muss
up the islanders war industrial
production about 100 per cent, con-
sidering the kind Of shacks it's
housed in, and it ought to be equal
ly disorganizing to their national
morale, the Importance Of which
We hear - rru~h er---N~-'-eI
Well. when, finally. we've licked
'enl, what about the Philippines?
They were to have had their In
dependence in 1916, but quite
few F'ilipinos haven't believed it
would be a desirable thing for
them. One of their very promi-
nent men, Dr. Vicente Villamin. q
politician, economist aid writer,
has been in the United States for
a year or so, working to prevent
Us from dumping 'em overheard
Not that he has any objections to
his peoples independence, II he
thought they could hang onto It,
but II they've got TO be dependent
on somebody. he greatly prefers
the United States to Japan, and
his theory has been that. the min
ute they were turned loose by this
country, the Japs would grab EN-.
What's happening now gives q lot
Of cogency to his argument.
1t rather looks, then. as Z. after
licking the Japanese. well be stuck
again with the Filipino dependency
permanently. Having acquired 1t,
from Spain, seemingly we can't get
rid Of 1t.
Rudyard Kipling and Admiral
Dewey, between EN-, were respon-
sible for wishing it onto US.
Taken From Spain
The islands were Spanishly
owned. The Spanish American
war started. Dewey sailed into
Manila bay and took possession.
The war over, 1t Immediately was
obvious that the archipelago, for
our purposes, would be, as preH-
ously remarked, liability rather
than an asset However, Rudyard,
at that Juncture, WAS turning out
coolies Of literature spropos the ro-
mantle activities OF the English
administrators OF India Amei-
cans had read this stuff by tie
ream. and had developed yen for
an oriental field Of endea7or for
our own younger sons" TO expand
into. The Philippines struck their
as exactly the right opening for it
So instead Of delivering IN Il the
Filipinos themselv =. as they want
ed US 10 do. we squelched Agui-
ualdo out Of EN- and now what
Teddy" Roosevelt was one O,
the birds who ms sted or retaining
them. for our "YounPer sons |"