Evening star., 1942-08-16

were hoping to delay our own entry into
| the conflict until production should in
crease substantially. But this did not
happen and the enemy, realizing the
| potential power of the United States,
hit us when we were just beginning to
get ready
Moreover, despite ominous signs of
war, the administration did not have
the authority to transform our peace
| industry into powerful war machine.
One month before Pearl Harbor our
| great automobile companies were wor-
; Eying about the l943 model and new
refrigerator and air-conditioning ma
chimes were being devised for homes
and apartments.
Initial Obstacles Overcome.
Washington that we might soon be in
volved in life and death struggle, in
dustry could not halt its commercial
operations. Even If it could have halted
them it could not have obtained orders
from the Army and Navy for lack of
equipment for large scale manufacture
of war implements.
Despite these initial obstacles, indus
try has performed miracles in less than
eight months. If it had not been for the
absolute necessity of sending tremendous
quantities of planes, tanks and other
important war materials to Russia
Great Britain, the Near East and other
parts of the world, American armed
forces would now be almost fully
equipped with everything they need.
Despite the terrific drain on our re-
sources, despite the blindness or lack of
foresight of administration chiefs to
the necessity of laying in vast stores of
war essentials which had to be imported
from Pacific areas, American war ill
dustry is continuing to progress.
The Army is being trained with speed
and efficiency which has surprised even
the greatest optimists and the men in
the fighting forces have shown eagerness
to do their share. Inevitable bottlenecks,
and in some cases negligence on the part
of superior officers, have been overlooked
and the spirit of the troops is higher
than in the last war.
Our Forces Sr~ead Thinly.
At this time our forces are spread
thinly. This is inevitable because of
commitments we undertook toward our
associates at time when such commit
ments were absolutely essential to keep
them fighting We have honored these
commitments to the best of our ability
and at the expense of American forces.
II, In some instances, like Russia, noun
tains OF war material and swArms Of
planes are not now on the battlefield
between the Don and the Volga, the
fault Is not ours. The enemy has been
sinking laden transports more rapidly
than we could produce them. But the
ships left our shores with the material
Our war potential continues to be
enormous in spite of the drawbacks
caused by lack of foresight, dilly- -daIying
and In some instances rank incompetence
in some high Government quarters.
These drawbacks were inevitable and
are being Strengthened out, even If not
as rapidly as some of us might wish.
Strategy Still Confused.
Against this great potential war power
must be set our confusion of strategy
We really have two strategies, with the
result that in fact we have none. Politi-
cal considerations and commitments to-
ward our associates have detracted from
the sound projects Of our naval and
military strategists, but the problems
are being simplifled and each day, as
more bad news reaches Washington mil
itary necessities are gaining the upper
hand over political considerations.