SiebenbuÌˆrgisch-Amerikanisches Volksblatt. [volume] (Cleveland, Ohio) 1917-1971, 1942-07-09
ECONOMIC HIGH.
LIGHTS
National and international Prob.
lens Inseparable from Local
Welfare

DorothyThompson recently, but
meticulous preparation, audaci-
Gus action, taking advantage oi
every weakness of the enemy, and
the use of every hand, brain, ma
terial and substitute material that
this energetic and ingenious ma
ton can master. In a war like
this one, we must assume at every
moment, from start to finish. that
its entire outcome depends upon
US. In favorable moments we
must not relax; in distressful
moments we must pull ourselves
together. At no moment must
our efforts be affected by our
moods"
1t is undoubtedly true that
many of US have given way to un-
justified optimism of late. That is
only natural. We exaggerate
United Nations victories and mi
nimize Axis victories. A high
government official said not long
ago that, Judging by the head
lines in some newspapers, Gene
raj MacArthur's forces must be
knocking at the gates of Tokyo.
Even the best of editors succumb
to wishful thinking at times, and
their papers reflect that attitude.
The plain truth is that, unless
the completely unlikely occurs,
we have barely started our war
effort The maps of the world
tell the whole story. Japanese do
minance in the South Pacific is
complete. China is in extreme
danger, and Burma has been lost.
British Asiatic forces have fought
bravely, but they have constant
lily been overwhelmed and forced
into retreat. The complete loss
Of the Philippines has released
crack Jap divisions for service
elsewhere. -
In, Europe, Hitler is still su-
ipreme. The Russians have per-
formed wonders in holding back
1.-THE Nazi legions. But the fact re-
mains that much Of Russian terri.
tory is still in Hitler's hands, and
tits long way from the fighting
lines to the German border.
There is no cause fof pessi-
mism in all this. The Axis was
ready for war and the United
| Nations were not, and serious re-.
verses were inevitable. And at
the same time, we must not make
the fatal mistake of thinking that
all is going perfectly, and that
there's nothing much to worry
about. 1t has been observed, with
great accuracy, that the United
Nations won't lose the war un-
less they start thinking that they
can't lose it.
The Burma campaign iliustrat-
es our difficulties. Lieutenant
General Stilwell and the other
commanders planned brilliantly
and their forces fought brilliant
ly. They just didn't have the
equipment. General Stilwell had
this to say: II claim we got a hell
of a beating. We got run out of
Burma and it is humaliiating as
hell -. The Japanese are not
supermen. If we go back proper
| ly proportioned and properly
equipped we can throw them
out" The invader, in brief, had
the material that modern war de-
mands. The defenders didn't.
Here at home. as the the COM
mentators have been saying. we
have got over the production
hump. Within a few months the
production of war materials of all
kinds will reach fantastic dimen-
sions. What we still have to do is
|! to win the battle of transporta-
j ton. The task of supplying forces
which are fighting on battlefronts
in every section of the world,
thousands of miles from the pro-
duction lines, is staggering. We
have not yet solved the U-Boot
problem. We have not enough
naval craft to keep the conveys
going with minimum losses.
This is going to take time-and
It is going to take stupendous, un.