Evening star., 1942-09-09
Sees Time Arriving
For Full Part in War
Military Writer Thinks Period
Of Preparation Has Passed
And Crisis Is at Hand

By Maj. George Fielding Eliot.
The people of the United States are
facing the gravest crisis, the greatest
trial and the heaviest responsibilities of
their history. From this point onward
America must bear the major burden of
this war. 1t is up to us to carry 1t
through to a victorious conclusion.
We have not yet realized this fact
There is tendency to complacent re-
joicing when we hear that the Russians
are holding firm at Stalingrad, or that
the British have beaten back Rommers
latest attack in Egypt, or that the Chi
nese have retaken couple of air fields,
or that handful of our own marines
have stormed half dozen tiny Pacific
islands. But these things are not
enough; they are not nearly enough.
The task before the United Nations is
the defeat of two powerfully armed,
desperate, predatory empires which are
bent on nothing less than the conquest
of the world and SO far have been almost
uniformly victorious in their progress
toward that goal. The stake is enor-
mous-it is nothing less that the survival
of individual human rights and liberties
on this planet; and whether those rights
and liberties shall survive or perish will
be determined very largely by our own
efforts and our own sacrifices.
Our part in the war so far has been
confined chiefly to three activities
production, transportation and prepa-
ration for combat
BY the fortunate accident of geog-
raphy and by reason of our command
OF the sea our tenure of distant outposts
commanding the approaches to this
continent and the activities of our
Allies we have been, in the continental
United States, almost immune from
direct attack. This is, of course, an
Immunity which will continue only so
long as we continue to command the
sea, to hold our defensive outposts
and, above all, to prevent our enemies
from overwhelming our Allies SO that
they can concentrate their efforts
against us.
We have done certain amount of
defensive fighting, largely for the pro-
lection OF our outposts and our lines
of communication with them and with
our Allies, but we have not yet under
taken major offensive effort. For the
most part we have been engaged In sup
plying our Allies and in building up a
war machine of our own while our
Allies did the greater part of the fighting.
This was, of course, condition made
necessary by the circumstances under
which we entered the war. We were
not wholly unprepared, but we were not
ready for major overseas effort. We
have been fortunate in receiving the
time to get ready, but we must recognize
that our preparatory period Is over and
that we are now, as our fighting power
Increases and we come fresh to the
battle, the mainstay of the United Ma
tons. Upon our courage, fortitude and
will to victory the others must come
increasingly to depend.
These others have done their part. In
1889 Poland bore the brunt of the war :;
in 1910 and the first half of 1941 1t was
Great Britains turn to stand almost
alone against the foe; for the last half
of 1941 and so far in 1912 the Soviet
Union has carried the major burden of
resistance to the Germans. Meanwhile,
1t has been China which has been carry
ing that burden as regards Japanese
aggression. Our Allies have done their
part and will continue to fight on as well
| as their resources permit, but they have
suffered heavy losses, they are tired and
they look to us-and rightly-not only for
words, not only for supplies, but for
| deeds.
| 1t Is tremendous responsibility which
we thus assume, and it is one which will
not be discharged easily or quickly or
| cheaply. We are the last reserve OF
freedom. If we fail, freedom dies. We
have watched others fight the good fight
while we made ready. Now the burden
of that fight is ours. Upon our battle
worthiness and our manly virtue rests
the future of the world. That worthiness
and that virtue we shall prove upon the
bodies of our foes. The price of victory
will be heavy, but we shall pay it.
But we should realize now, grimly and
clearly, that the days of our comfortable
detachment from the burdens and terrors
of conflict are over, that from now or
this is our war in very truth and that
its issue depends upon our willingness
yes, upon our eagerness to pay the price
of victory. 1t Is not enough that we
should not recoil from this terrible but
splendid responsibility; what is required
of us is that we meet 1t with hearts OF
steel and with shining pride that il
has been given to us to lay so costly a
sacrifice on the altar OF freedom.
Copyrisht, 1912, New York Tribune, Inc,
Comments With Glee
On Changes waiting for U.s."