Evening star., 1942-08-08
Text of information Office Statement Warning
More Sacrifices Are Needed to Win War

The tolloDing statement on the
iDdr situation iDds issued last night
by the ODice OF War information:
The Office OF War Information Is
directed, among other things, to
facilitate the development Of an in
formed and intelligent understand
ing of the status and progress Of the
war effort. Accordingly it may, from
time to time, supplement the cur
rent news with a review OF the gen.
eral situation.
We are deep in what may be the
decisive year OF the war. But 1912
will be the decisive year only II our
enemies do not succeed In inflicting
crippling blows on our Allies before
the year is out. Even II they fail in
that, they will still take = lot Of
licking. But If they should paraly2e
the striking power Of Russia, or
wear down the endurance Of China,
or break the British power In the
Middle East, the war will be decided
in some later year not now foreseen,
and victory will be far more costly.
Year Of Preparation.
It Is not intended here to discuss
the military situation except rs it
relates to what the American people
are doing about it. We always knew
that for us, 1942 would be largely
year of preparation, and that our
Allies would have to do most Of the
fighting during most of the year.
Before we can do much Of the fight
ing we must move great numbers Of
men and vast masses OF material
over enormous distances. This job,
80 far, has been done with entire
success; but we are going to have to
keep on doing 1t, In increasing vol
ume, until the war is won.
Meanwhile, compelled to spread
out our naval forces far more widely,
and far more thinly, than could
have been foreseen, we have paid
for the perfect protection given to
our troop conveys to Europe and the
South Seas with heavy shipping
losses oil our own coasts. During
the first half of this year sinkings
Of merchant shipping far exceeded
new construction. The months OF
June and July showed decided i'm
provement in shipbuilding. and In
July the curve OF submarine sink
ings the world over turned down.
ward.
We hope that this trend will con-
tinue, but nobody can be sure; pro-
duction of small vessels for the anti
submarine campaign is still tagging
and in June was less than half OF
schedule. Even If shipbuilding con-
tinues to rise and sinkings decrease
we shall probably be well into 194a
before we again have as much mer-
chant shipping as we had on De-
cember 7, 194l.
Allies Carrying Load.
Meanwhile, our Allies have car
ried most Of the load, and we have
not given them as much halp Al
we had led them to expect. Partly
this is not our fault, except In such
degree as the enemy's victories may
be our fault; the cutting OF the
Burma road made 1t harder to sup
ply China and German activity on
the route to Murmansk makes II
harder to supply Russia. But by
and large, we have not been pro-
ducing war material to the maxi
mum OF available capacity, and have
not been getting that material tc
the fighting fronts in the time and
In the volume that will be needed
to win.
We have done pretty we'll, but
not we'll enough. Our forces in the
Pacific, after the initial disasters Of
Pearl Harbor and on the Philip
pine air fields, worked heroically al
a heavy disadvantage, In number.
as well as in distance. The won.
der is not that we lost 80 much
but that we held 50 much: but ".
did lose plenty. The battles in thu
Coral Sea, the greater battle al
Midway, were brilliant victorie!
against superior forces: but they
were defensive victories. We hele
the enemy on the 20-yard line ane
punted out Of danger, but his goa
posts are still a long way of. WI
held the Central Pacific and rein
forced Australia; but he still hold
the Philippines. and the Dutcl
Islands, and the rubber that VI
need.
Output Below Schedule.
At home. too, we have done prett!
we'll but not we'll enough. Our pro
duction, measured by our standard
OF a couple Of years ago. is amaz
ing; measured against what we neee
to win, it is not yet enough. In Jun,
We fell slightly below schedule IL
total military planes, In total com
bat planes, and in most Of the indi
vidual types; we made more plane
than any other country In the world
but We did not make as many q
we said We were going to make. Th'
same Is true Of tanks. OF most type
Of artillery. and Of naval vessels
particularly the small craft needet
to fight submarines.
We have made In the past tw'
years . tremendous plant expansion
Now We have more factories thar
ut the moment, We can use-not To-
many. perhaps, compared 10 the I'll