Evening star., 1942-12-28

VI
wounded. David Lawrence.
The ''imbalance" starts right
here in Washington and extends to
London. A necessary censorship
over the facts and figures helps
coincidentally. though not inten-
tionally, to hide the tragic absence
of co-ordinated production to
meet a co-ordinated distribution of
weapons and supplies.
The British do not see eye to eve
with out own people as to the
way supplies shall be distributed in
this global war, and the military
leaders Of our Nation find them
selves handicapped by incompetence
Of administration on the home
front which is tending to impair
the civilian economy and create
such a painful "imbalance" As to
have repercussions on the produc-
ton side.
For. while much rationing is
necessary, the maladministratio
and inefficiency that has accom-
panied 1t is inexcusable and indie
finable-not the least element of
which is the latest cry that every
thing is needed for North Africa"
claim which is not confirmed by
those who ought to know.
The central trouble, of course, is
that the President is a poor admin
istrator and that he makes the same
mistakes of zeal and enthusiasm in
particular directions that his CO.
worker, Prime Minister Churchill
makes. Both men are Temperament
tally great and inspiring leaders,
but they have made some serious
errors which in due time will be
disclosed, and though these will
not mar the broad record of lead
ership, historians will ask why their
fellow countrymen were so acques-
cent and passive while such blunders
were in process of being made.
Sub situation Bad.
At the moment, the most spec
tacular blunder lies in the handling
of the aircraft and submarine
problem. Having neglected air
power for years, the administration
now has swung to such an extreme
as to effect adversely the flow of
materials to build the escort ships
and the cruisers, destroyers and
capital ships required to convoy
supplies safely and to break down
the submarine menace
And the submarine situation is
bad. The sinkings near our own
coast have let up somewhat, but
the losses on the other side of the
ocean have mounted considerably.
Much of the food, much of the oil.
much of the gasoline needed both
at home and overseas are at the
bottom of the ocean. Not a single
offlcial estimate has been released
by Britain and America since the
war began to indicate the billions
of dollars of materials and supplies
lost through submarine activity.
Victory through air power" has
been good slogan that has swept
the country, but it has come to
mean victory through air power
alone. Yet air power has had more
than a year of huge production
At the expense of other needed
weapons, and the enemy has been
permitted to increase it's undersea
warfare. Air power, it might be
supposed. could destroy submarine
bases, but the enemy has been
given ample time to build concrete
caverns to protect them.
CO. -ordinated Command.
Likewise. the battleship Tirpitz
and the cruisers Gneisenau and
Scharnhorst are accessible to air
bombers of the United Nations, but
they still lie undestroyed in Nor
wegian harbors, while a consider
able number of our surface naval
vessels are tied up maintaining a
costly vigil. Air power has failed
to lick the submarines and to de-
stroy the small remnant of Ger
many's nuisance navy. This is
largely 4 British problem and more
questions are asked about 1t and
go unanswered than any other
single phase Of the naval war.
Air power has had It's priorities.
but what has happened to the
enormous amount of aircraft pro-
duced this past year? Has 1t been
permitted to dribble away a little
here and 4 little there? Air power
IL fully recognized as an essential
part OF modern warfare and in its
proper place can make land and
sea operations many times more
effective than they ever have been.
But OUR Navy in the Pacific needs
more air power or else it needs a
co-ordinated command so as to
make better use of it IN that area.
The Japanese do not have a sepa-
rate air command, but the navy
controls all airplanes used in often
sive and defensive operations in and
around islands and other land bases.
Propaganda for separate Air Corps
has cost America plenty, and the
existence of separate air force
in Britain independent Of naval or
military control by the regular
, armed services has to date failed to
achieve the objectives that should
i, BY now have been reached.
These views are held not Just
BY laymen observers, but by men
who ought to know and who can
b classed Is experts, men who want
more and lot less air power. but
who also want . better distribution
Aof weapons and supplies 20 We can
shorten the war.
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