Evening star., 1942-03-22
By Constantine BroWn.

useless sacrifice Of men and war ma
terial to attempt to strike the enemy In
force.
At the present time our efforts are
centered on two principal tasks-U TO
maintain q secure line of communica-
tions with Eastern Australia and New
Zealand, whence we hope eventually TO
start an offensive against the Japs; and
60 to maintain the line of supply to
Britain and Russia.
It is doubtful whether we shall be able
to prevent the Japs from occupying
Western Australia. the section from Dar-
win on the northern coast to Perth in
the southwest. But there is every hope
that we shall be able to keep our hold on
the rich eastern and southeastern Sec
tions of the continent.
The retention Of the richest parts Of
Australia and ultimate victory in the
war depend on man power. OF which the
United Nations find their greatest reser-
voirs in three nations: Russia, China
and the United States.
Russia Needs War Material.
There is no problem OF man power in
the Soviet Union. Whatever may hap
pen to Russia in the next few months,
the Russian armies can hold on, in the
opinion of military leaders. provided
they obtain sufficient war supplies. The
Nazi onaaughts may force them to give
up twice as much ground as they lost
last year. They may lose Moscow, Lenin-
grad and even the Caucasus, but they
can retire, inf1icting heavy losses on the
enemy and can start the fight afresh.
Russia's principal handicap is lack Of
war material Soviet factories beyond
the Volga and in the Urals continue to
produce, but their output is not sufficient
for the great swollen army of fighters
which the Soviet Union now has mobi-
lized. If the Russians are to maintain
between 1000, 900 and 5000, 900 men in
the field they must receive from America
the weapons with which to fight, regard
less Of price or effort. Few anti-Com-
munists or skeptics still believe that
Russia will double -cross the Allies and
make peace with the Axis, for the Soviet
Is determined to continue the fight as
long as we can provide them with neces-
sary war material
Britain's Importance.
If Russia is powerful bastion against
German victory, Britain is its greatest
foreign arsenal. 1t has been limited in
some pessimistic circles that Allied de-
fense lines could be greatly shortened If
the British Isles were left to their fate
and the London government induced to
move to Canada or New Zealand This
theory is energetically repudiated by
military men, who see in Britain both an
important fortress and . great source
Of war production.
So long rs we can ship raw materials
to Britain her factories can still produce,
even though air bombardments slow the
tempo. In the last few months the bulk
of the war material which enabled the
Russians to struggle with such success
against the Nazis was sent from Britain.
Hence, IN organizing our offensive,
disregarding the theaters Of operation
in the Mediterranean and elsewhere, we
must necessarily keep an adequate naval
force to assure safe conveying Of manu-
factured and raw materials to both Rus
sia and Great Britain. This is as much
an integral part of American strategy as
the defense Of our own coasts.
Under these conditions 1t Is natural
that our preparations for an offensive
should be slow. Some Of our most dis
tinguished strategists shudder when they
hear professional or amateur speech
makers speak about IN imminent ofYen.
sivs somewhere In Europe: They con-