Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-02-23
Projection
OfHamIe+s
Impossible
U.MS. Should Distribute
Forces CIeverIy
BY HUGH 5. JOHNSON

bN ~ VII - "c'.''-'
SECRETARY STIMSON said,
- tho other day, that We arc
NOT going 10 Stirring out our dc
fcnscs under thOuGhtlcss press
urc Of this locality or that 10
protect il against sudden raids
or other attacks,
He mentioned the submarine
attack in tho great oil and gas
depot AT Aruba, Curacao, as an
example of what he meant The
policy Is 10 be one OF building
up mass armies TO take the Of
icnSlve when we are ready
OF the navy, on the same day,
Secretary Knox said of the same
problem that We have IAN awful
lot of bread (areaS 10 detend)
bur very little butter navy
50 we viii have 10 spread the
butter as thin a. we can.
ALTHOUGH probably not so
~ intended. these principles
contradict each other one looks
10 A concentration of forces even
Al the risk of loss and damage
from local attacks. The other
seeks 10 guard everything and,
through weakness everywhere.
winds up by guarding nothing
Keeping IN mind that no mill
tarv policy is mathematical
rule and that each must be APP
Piled with changes 10 IN chang
ing facts, the former lMr,
SumSon'S) is lust about principle
number one Of military strategy.
He has stated II well-but are
we practicinG it well? We are,
properly. not dispoSing our
armies in this early stage of or
ganiZatIon, equipment and tram
ing with an eye 10 guarding
every little Podunk-even on
our two coasts. where any OF
them is a possible target for
few shells or bombs But, when
IL comes 10 world strategy and
distribution of troops, the sky
is literally the limit.
I'VE HAVE been told, on the
w highest authority that We
have a dozen cXpcdltlonary
forces abroad and they are scat
tered. as this column long ago
sand they would be. almost from
the Straits Of Matacca to the
straits Of Dover
They can't be large There
isn't enough transport and
equipment tor that They are
lu>t little pIncheS OF human star
dust set down here and there
where then value can scarcely
be more than moral and their
physical striking force next to
nil, We can violate the rule
abroad bat not, 1t seems, at
home.
Now. as a matter OF fact the
secret of not attempting 10
guard every foot of frontier in
A continuous line seems To be
not very we'll understood by Mr.
SumSon II does not Just mean
concentrating all troops in i'm
posing armies getting ready for
some grand offensive.
TT MEANS guessing probable
L enemy detectives and locating
the masses Of force with such
regard TO roads and natural oh.
Stacle> and avenues that any hit
and-run attaCker viii think a
long time before he strikes too
deeply home
Take the case Of Aruba II
is such a natural that even This
column. two days before the
attack. predicted that il was
one of four targets most likely
for a fast shot. 1t is one of the
worlds greatest ports 9i outlet
for gas and OIL
Some navy man said later
that the attack was probably a
fclnt Four fine and greatly
needed tankcr> surely sunk and
others crippled in about an
hour Some feint'
THEN an army man said that
there was much oil on the
surface and that the sub, there
fore was probably sunk. With
=, many tons Of tanker oil
bleeding there, why wouldn't
there be oil on the surface?
We cant. a Secretary Slim
son says, guard every locality on
The spot but can't we guard
great areas from a distance and
still keep our masses concen-
tratcd That was what Hawaii
VAS for and. after our rude les
son there II VIII probably be
effective for iu>i that purpose
no the future Z
Eul-ateR-ttrat- task. on TWO
oceans We have oven now no
surplus force but If the JapS
can make It, good use OF inferior
ourcc> 10y using them
>wstl\ why can We?
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