Evening star., 1942-04-19
Capital Halls Raids
On Toxic as Prelude
To Vast Offensive
War and Navy OfficioIs
Withhold Comment,
Awoitine Full Reports
~ ths Assoc lated Press.

~ Nv HN~oA4HF~N ffFNNr
Word that American planes
had finally slashed at the great
cities Of Japan exhilirated and
excited Washington yesterday
and was hailed by members OF
Congress as the harbinger OF a
vast offensive that ultimately will
crumble the Mikado's empire.
It was balm for the wounds of
Pearl Harbor and Bataan TO learn
that the war had been carried in
direct and Furnishing fashion to the
Japanese people In combination
with last weeks air raids on Japan
csc bases in the Philippines It
cheered a country which. contrary
10 its traditions, had been fighting
q defensive war.
And cheering. too. was the pace
which Americas war production was
attaining, with Undersecretary Of
War Robert Patterson announcing
that American production Of tanks
was nov greater than that OF the
Axis. MIR. Patterson said also in an
address prepared for an N. B. c.
broadcast that way had been found
10 increase shell-loading capacity by
1000 per cent.
Official Report Awaited.
Flation over the raids on Japan
was mingled with intense specula-
ton as TO the kind and number OF
planes used and how they reached
the cities OF the enemy. All possible
points and methods OF approach
were discuSsed-aircraft carriers,
bases In the Aleutian Islands, In the
Philippines, China and even Russia.
Oficials at the War and Navy
Departments were wearing broad
smiles but saying nothing Pre-
sumably no announcement will be
made until the operation is COM
pleted. planes are back at their
bases or carriers. and official re-
ports have been received.
At the Capitol, Senator Hill, DEM
ocrat, Of Alabama echoed a popu-
lar statement when he said:
This is Just a beginning; It's
hardly token compared with what
we're going TO give them"
Congress Members Pleased.
That's the way we're going to
win the war" said Senator Clark,
Democrat. of Idaho. Bombing them
right at home"
There was possibility OF repr-
sal raids" Senator Clark said. but
added, "if we have sufficient aircraft
on the Pacific Coast. enemy bombers
can be Knocked down as they
come In
Other congressional comment in
cluded:
House Majority Leader McCor-
mack: at was only a matter OF
time when our forces would take
the offensive. From now on Japan
can expect to be on the receiving
end. Our men of the Navy and Air
TO date under trying difflculties con-
fronting them. We can rely on the
Army when 1t meets the enemy"
Representative Snyder, Democrat,
of Pennsylvania, chairman of a
House appropriations subcommittee
on war expenditures: This will
prove INT in boosting morale, not
- - IIx.A tn
and Russia The great masses in
Russia will have foundation to be-
lieve that they won't have to fear
an attack to their rear while they
are battling the Germans. ! pre-
dicted in January that Toxic would
be bombed before May l, and l
now predict that 1t will be bombed
from many quarters by July l"
Senator Thomas, Democrat, Of
Utah: I've long contended that
the way to defeat Japan is 10 carry
the war TO her. I'm certain that
stories of American bombing of hos
pitfalls and schools are untrue, After
all, we're in this war as a serious
business and We want to bomb only
military objectives,"
Senator Truman. Democrat, of
Montana: I'm very happy over
IL and the only thing l regret is
that I'm not over there helping
paste them. I don't think there's
been enough of 1t yet, but there1l be
more and more in the weeks TO
come That's the only way TO win
any kind of a flght-take the fight